Strongest Storm, Book Five: Burning Moon
by Come to the Well
Summary: It is the heat of greenleaf, and it doesn't seem to be getting better. Riverpaw is an apprentice of ThunderClan determined to prove her worth to the Clan. But when disaster strikes, will she be able to control herself and the Clan she loves? Sequel to Storm.
1. Riverpaw

**AN: Here's the long awaited Burning Moon! Yes, the title does have something to do with what happens in this book. I've edited the beginning chapter and most of the chapters that follow, so hopefully it will be more exciting than the last book. As for the main characters, you will find out later on and what happened between book four and five.**

**EDIT: Thanks to Foxbracken for pointing out the ShadowClan apprentices XP When you have so many characters written down there's only so much you can do. As for Lilacpool being a queen already, I'm thinking of explaining that in a side chapter later on :P  
**

* * *

**Allegiances**

_**ThunderClan**_

**Leader:** _Stormstar- _silver, black and gray she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Leafpaw**

**Deputy:** _Brackenfur_- golden brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat: **_Cedarpaw_**- **pale ginger tom with green eyes

**Warriors:**

_Mousefur-_ small dusky brown she-cat

_Dustpelt-_ dark brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Flamepaw**

_Sandstorm_- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Emberpaw**

_Longtail-_ pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

_Brightheart_- white she-cat with ginger patches

_Brambleclaw-_ dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Frozenpaw**

_Rainstorm_- dark gray tom with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Honeypaw**

_Sootpelt_- lighter gray tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Shalepaw**

_Sorreltail_- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Riverpaw**

_Squirreltail- _dark ginger she-cat with green eyes_  
_

_Snowstorm_- white she-cat with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Echopaw**

_Larchwing_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_Birchnose_- light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

_Flamepaw_- dark ginger tom with amber eyes

_Honeypaw_- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Shalepaw_- dark ginger tom with green eyes

_Emberpaw_- ginger-brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Leafpaw_- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

_Frozenpaw_- dark gray she-cat with silver-tipped paws and yellow eyes

_Echopaw_- lighter gray she-cat with yellow eyes

_Riverpaw_- dark brown she-cat with black stripes along her back; has blue eyes

**Queens:**

_Ferncloud- _speckled pale gray she-cat with green eyes, expecting Dustpelt's kits

_Whiteleaf_- white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Graykit, Streamkit and Toadkit by Sootpelt

**Elders:**

_Goldenflower-_ pale ginger she-cat

_Frostfur-_ white she-cat with blue eyes

_Cloudtail-_ long-haired white tom with blue eyes; retired early due to loss of leg

**Kits:**

_Graykit_- pale gray and white tom

_Streamkit_- gray she-cat with darker gray-tipped ears

_Toadkit_- brown and white tom

_**ShadowClan**_

**Leader:** _Blackstar-_ large white tom with huge jet black paws

**Deputy:** _Rowanclaw- _ginger she-cat  
**Apprentice: Hollowpaw**

**Medicine Cat:** _Littlecloud-_ very small tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Rockfur**

**Warriors:**

_Oakfur-_ small brown tom

_Pinepelt_- gray she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Lizardpaw**

_Smokefrost_- gray and black tom with blue eyes

___Tawnypelt_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_Talonclaw_- pale tabby tom with blue eyes

_Lilacpool_- pale gray she-cat with green eyes

_Flyheart_- long-haired gray tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Shrewpaw**

_Olivefur_- light brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Stoneclaw_- gray and brown tabby tom

_Branchtail_- light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

_Rockfur_- dark gray tom with yellow eyes

_Hollowpaw_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_Shrewpaw_- light brown tom with patches of ginger in his fur

_Lizardpaw_- pale brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

_Lilacpool_- pale gray she-cat with green eyes, expecting Smokefoot's kits

**Kits:**

_None_

**WindClan**

**Leader:** _Mudstar-_ mottled dark brown tom

**Deputy:**_ Tornear_- tabby tom

**Medicine Cat:** _Barkface-_ brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Galewind**

**Warriors:**

_Onewhisker-_ brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Dustpaw**

_Whitetail_- small white she-cat

_Morningflower-_ tortoiseshell she-cat

_Milkfeather-_ creamy brown she-cat with blue eyes

_Crowflight_- dark gray tom with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Wingpaw**

_Harewhisker_- brown and white tom

_Swiftbreeze_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Amberpaw**

_Weaselfur_- ginger and white tom

_Deerleap_- long-legged light brown tom

_Lilytail_- pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

_Galewind_- pale gray tabby tom with amber eyes

_Wingpaw_- tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Amberpaw_- golden brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Dustpaw_- light brown flecked tom with yellow eyes

**Queens:**

_Tanglefur_- long-haired tabby she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Whiskerkit, Gingerkit and Sagekit

_Lilytail_- pale gray she-cat with amber eyes, expecting

**Kits:**

_Whiskerkit_- tabby tom with tufts of fur along his ears

_Gingerkit_- dark ginger she-cat

_Sagekit_- pale tabby tom with amber eyes

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** _Mistystar_- gray she-cat with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Sandpaw**

**Deputy:** _Hawkfrost_- dark brown tom with a white underbelly and blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: **_Robinwing_- tan colored tom

**Warriors:**

___Mosspelt_- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

_Stormfur-_ dark gray tom with yellow eyes  
**Apprentice: Badgerpaw**

___Feathertail_- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

_Sasha-_ brown and white she-cat with blue eyes; former rogue  
**Apprentice: Silverpaw**

_Frogpelt_- black tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Foxpaw**

_Beaverclaw_- huge tabby tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Ravenpaw**

_Beechfur_- light brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Thornpaw**

_Pebblespeck_- mottled tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

_Mothpool_- dappled golden she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, tail and muzzle, expecting Beaverclaw's kits

_Minnowtail_- dark gray and white she-cat, expecting Hawkfrost's kits

**Apprentices:**

_Ravenpaw_- black she-cat with splotches of brown in her fur; has green eyes

_Silverpaw_- pale gray she-cat with black paws and green eyes

_Badgerpaw_- black and white tom with amber eyes

_Foxpaw_- ginger she-cat with blue eyes

_Thornpaw_- dark brown tom with amber eyes

_Sandpaw_- pale ginger tom with amber eyes

**Kits:**

None

**Elders:**

_Dawnflower_- pale gray she-cat

_Mosspelt_- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Cats Outside Clans**

_Barely_- black and white tom; a loner

_Ashfur_- pale gray tom (with darker flecks) with dark blue eyes; former ThunderClanner

* * *

**Chapter 1**

So much time seemed to pass since the battle against Shadowpelt. Riverpaw sat on her haunches as she recalled what had happened the day of the battle.

Aspenpaw had asked if she could make dirt while the warriors were guarding the camp. No cat had asked to come with her because she was still unstable. Riverpaw had felt sorry for her, though she knew that Aspenpaw would never get over what had happened. In the end Aspenpaw had given her life to save Stormstar.

Riverpaw was now stuck cleaning out the elder's den as her denmates went off to practice their fighting moves. Sorreltail had told her that they would go out later in the evening. But that didn't stop Riverpaw from feeling frustrated with her new mentor.

"Thanks Riverpaw, my nest felt like it went through a wind storm," Cloudtail purred when she removed his old nest.

The long-haired elder was one of the few cats that Riverpaw enjoyed being around. Despite what Cloudtail had been through he always tried to cheer the younger cats up. He had lost his leg during a fight against a fox a moon ago. Riverpaw remembered that day all too well.

"I'm just hoping I don't have to do this all day," she grumbled as she pushed in the new moss.

"Sorreltail's just trying to take it easy on you," Cloudtail meowed. "Give her a chance, I'm sure she'll come around eventually."

_When I'm your age_, Riverpaw thought with a roll of her eyes.

She decided not to argue about it with an elder. Cloudtail was sympathetic towards Sorreltail. She had lost her daughter during the battle against Shadowpelt.

"Hey Riverpaw, are gonna come join us?" Leafpaw's voice broke the silence Riverpaw had been building. "We're talking about the Gathering that's gonna happen tomorrow night!"

Riverpaw's eyes widened when she realized that there would be a full moon tomorrow night. She had almost forgotten with everything that was going on.

After she and Leafpaw had won the contest that was held a moon ago, they were both allowed to go to the Gathering. She wasn't sure who else would be going, and at this point she didn't care.

"Okay, maybe we'll see some new apprentices while we're there," she meowed.

"Or we can see who is most vulnerable," Frozenpaw chimed in.

Riverpaw nodded in agreement at her friend's words. Frozenpaw was always looking for a good fight. She enjoyed the young cat's company, especially when it came to hunting. Echopaw however was nothing like her sister. She was quiet and soft spoken. She had even said that she was afraid of her sister's violent nature.

"So do you know who is going?" Riverpaw asked as she began to wash her face with her paws.

"I know I'm going!" Leafpaw boasted.

"I think Flamepaw and Honeypaw are going too," Frozenpaw murmured with a roll of her eyes. "Not that they deserve it or anything."

"What about Emberpaw?" Riverpaw tilted her head to one side, suddenly remembering the young ginger-brown she-cat.

Emberpaw was usually spending her time with Honeypaw or Shalepaw, her brother.

"I doubt they'll be going," Leafpaw meowed.

Silence followed Leafpaw's words as Riverpaw thought of what she would see at the Gathering. This was their chance to find out which Clan was going to attack next.

With Shadowpelt out of the Clans they had been strangely peaceful. Not even ShadowClan or RiverClan tried to take territory for the past few days. Riverpaw had picked up their scents at the edge of the border, but that was about it.

Riverpaw knew that the peace would not last forever. Sooner or later one of the Clans would start a fight over something like boundaries.

_It's in our nature to fight_, she thought with a flick of her tail.

She was surprised at how few cats seemed to care about the sudden peace that shadowed the forest. They were in a vulnerable position when they thought they had nothing to worry about. Riverpaw had a feeling that they were going to get a rude awakening.

* * *

**AN: I'm loving Riverpaw already, but the next main character is going to be my favorite I think. Yep, there's going to be two main characters in this book, and I'm sure you already know who the second one will be XP I might switch between the points of views of other cats as well depending on how well it fits into the storyline. Don't forget to review!**


	2. Ravenpaw

**AN: Here's the second chapter! I believe this one is a little more exciting, but you'll be the judge of that. Anyways you get to meet miss Ravenpaw, who's going to play a very big roll in the next couple of books. Enjoy**!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

She gazed down into the river, barely showing the shadow that would scare away the fish. Beside her was her mentor, Beaverclaw. The huge tabby had taken her out for hunting earlier in the morning, but they had little luck.

A snarl erupted within her throat when she suddenly flashed out her unsheathed claws. Within heartbeats a fish came flopping out. She was quick to take it's life as it slammed across the sandy ground. Once the fish was dead she raised her chin and stared at Beaverclaw defiantly.

"Well done Ravenpaw," the tabby grunted when he got to his paws. He had been sitting for most of the time. "Though your hunting skills are a bit..."

He broke off when she glared at him. She already knew what he was going to say.

Her aggression was why so many cats avoided her. No one understood why she behaved the way she did. Even Hawkfrost, her own father, was taken aback by her aggression.

"Can we go back now?" she demanded after shaking droplets of water off of her sleek pelt.

Because of the fish that RiverClan constantly ate, their pelts had become sleek like an otter's. Ravenpaw had noticed on her first day of training that the water simply ran off of her pelt. She had wondered about it until Beaverclaw explained.

"I suppose we can go back," he grunted once more. It seemed like that was all he could do nowadays.

Ravenpaw rolled her eyes and grabbed the fish between her teeth.

Beaverclaw had acted this way ever since he found out Shadowpelt was dead. Stormstar had announced at a Gathering a moon ago that the WindClan warrior was found dead near the edge of ThunderClan territory. Beaverclaw and Shadowpelt had been good friends before they joined the Clans.

Once she had even asked Beaverclaw what the other rogues were like during their training session. The huge tabby had suddenly whirled on her and snapped. The other mentors and apprentices had skirted away from Beaverclaw's larger form in surprise and fear.

She sighed in annoyance as she followed him towards camp. He was eager to get back to his mate, Mothpool. Ironically Mothpool had been a former rogue before joining RiverClan as a kit as well. Her mother, Sasha, had refused to take a warrior name.

"Anyways we went to the edge of the river and saw a couple of Twoleg kits playing in it!" the exclamation had come from Silverpaw, one of Ravenpaw's littermates and the few friends that she actually had. "Hey Ravenpaw, nice catch!" she called out when she noticed them peering through the bed of reeds.

Camp was protected by reeds that towered above it. The warrior's den was made up of reeds and brambles that were twined together for protection from the cold and rain. The apprentices den was slightly smaller and adjacent to the warrior's den. The nursery on the other paw was the most protected den. With two queens expecting their kits the Clan wanted to ensure that their future was brighter than ever.

"There's going to be a Gathering tonight," Ravenpaw meowed when she dropped her fish on the fresh-kill pile.

"Well we all know you're going!" Silverpaw boasted. "I'm going too, and so is Badgerpaw."

Ravenpaw rolled her eyes at the thought of spending time with Silverpaw's brother. Badgerpaw was an annoying furball. All he ever did was chase after she-cats and he was just an apprentice! She had a feeling that he was really after Foxpaw.

The ginger she-cat was almost as annoying as Badgerpaw. All Foxpaw ever did was brag about how good she was at fighting. In truth Foxpaw was a horrible fighter and friend. The ginger she-cat was nothing more than a future queen to Ravenpaw.

"Anyways it'll be fun to see the other Clans," Silverpaw mewed when Ravenpaw began grooming herself.

"We'll see who's weakest and tell Mistystar," Ravenpaw added.

Silverpaw was oblivious to the threat that Ravenpaw had made.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw warriors emerge from their den. A few were getting ready to leave for the dusk patrol. With night falling upon them quickly they needed to get ready soon. Soon the Gathering would begin for the Clans.

She wasn't surprised to see Hawkfrost amongst the group of warriors. Her father was always spending time with them rather than in the nursery, where Minnowtail slept.

Minnowtail was expecting Hawkfrost's kits. The news had spread around camp like wildfire a few days ago. Dawnflower had looked like she was ready to burst with pride when she heard the news.

But Hawkfrost rarely visited the nursery since than. Ravenpaw had often wondered why this was. Didn't he love Minnowtail? He had acted like it when she was just a kit. Either way she was sure that these kits would bring nothing but trouble to RiverClan.

_Minnowtail already acts like they're the best kits in the forest_, Ravenpaw thought. She had a feeling that Minnowtail wasn't going to let them forget about the kits, or who their father was.

OoOo

Night fell quickly upon the forest. Ravenpaw's fur was well groomed, as were Silverpaw and Badgerpaw. All three of them were eager to get going as the chill of night coursed through the camp.

Mistystar was speaking quietly to Hawkfrost about the border patrols. Apparently some ThunderClan apprentice had almost fallen into the river while hunting on sunningrocks. The whole Clan had been in an uproar once the news reached them.

Fortunately Hawkfrost had been bold enough to jump into the river and save the apprentice before it fell in.

Ravenpaw rose to her paws once the Clan was ready to leave. Silverpaw and Badgerpaw exchanged eager looks before bounding after her. Mistystar looked down at the three apprentices as if she expected them to understand what to do.

Surprise flared within Ravenpaw's chest when she saw that Pebblespeck was going with the patrol.

Pebblespeck was some random loner that had been wandering through the territory. She had been young at the time, maybe close to Ravenpaw's age when she came across RiverClan. Mistystar had been desperate for more apprentices at the time. So Pebblespeck was lucky enough to be accepted into the Clan. Most cats didn't trust her though from what Ravenpaw could tell.

Once the group of warriors was ready to leave, Mistystar led the patrol through the territory. Ravenpaw felt a rush of energy course through her as she bounded after the leader.

Silverpaw raced alongside her while Badgerpaw trudged ahead. The black and white tom really reminded Ravenpaw of a badger. He even lumbered like one.

"Can you believe this is going to be our second Gathering?" Silverpaw asked when they reached the gorge. Ravenpaw made sure she kept well away from the gorge.

Too many cats had lost their lives fighting near the gorge. It was where Bluestar had lost her life and let the pack of dogs fall in. Every cat knew the story of the brave ThunderClan leader.

Ravenpaw ignored her friend and tried to keep an eye on the path ahead. Fourtrees came into view sooner than she'd expected.

Soon the scents of other Clans began to overwhelm her sharp sense of smell. Ravenpaw glanced at Silverpaw, whose tail was curled in excitement. The apprentice looked like she was ready to burst forward and ignore any warnings Mistystar had given her.

ThunderClan was already at the clearing. Ravenpaw's nose wrinkled at the thought of interacting with ThunderClan apprentices.

"Remember not to give anything away," Beaverclaw grumbled when he joined her. The huge tabby's tail flicked from side to side as if he expected her to say something right than and there.

"I don't chatter like you do," she muttered crossly.

"Of course you don't," Beaverclaw snorted.

She tried to block him out when the patrol reached Fourtrees. A few ThunderClan warriors were sitting together while others watched the patrol warily. It was than that Ravenpaw noticed the small group of apprentices clustered together.

Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she saw a dark brown apprentice with black stripes along her back. But it wasn't the stripes or pelt color that struck her oddly. It was the icy blue eyes that seemed to lock with her pale green eyes.

* * *

**AN: I left you on a cliffie didn't I? Bwahahaha! I love doing that! So what do you think of Ravenpaw? Let me know when you're finished scowling angrily at the computer screen XP**


	3. Shock at the Gathering

**AN: Chapter update! Riverpaw gets to meet Ravenpaw finally. Should be interesting to read how they react right? Anyways thanks everyone for your reviews, and don't forget to leave one now!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Shock coursed through the young apprentice as she gazed at the stranger standing in front of her. Riverpaw's fur began to bristle with unease when she noticed the pale green eyes that stared back at her. She wasn't sure if the stranger was angry or confused by her sudden shock.

"Who are you?" the black she-cat with brown splotches demanded. She stalked forward, tail lashing and eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she glared at Riverpaw.

"My name's Riverpaw," she squeaked.

"Why do you look like me?" The black she-cat's question caught Riverpaw off guard. She looked at the she-cat's friend, whose head was tilted in confusion and concern.

"Ravenpaw, get over here!" a black and white tom yowled.

A sigh of relief escaped from Riverpaw's lungs when Ravenpaw turned away.

This Ravenpaw apprentice seemed like someone Riverpaw didn't want to understand. Her sudden anger had shocked Riverpaw. There was something odd about the stranger that Riverpaw didn't like. She had a feeling it had something to do with ThunderClan.

She shook her head and decided not to think about it as Leafpaw greeted the other RiverClan apprentices. One of them was a pale gray she-cat with black paws. She had green eyes too, but they were a darker shade of green than Ravenpaw's. Sitting beside the pale gray cat was a bulky looking black and white tom.

"My name's Leafpaw, what are yours?" Leafpaw asked when she mewed a greeting to them.

"Silverpaw, and this is my brother Badgerpaw," the pale gray she-cat explained. The black and white tom grunted and looked away, as if annoyed by the presence of other apprentices. "Don't mind him, he's always a grumpy furball," she added in a purr of laughter. "And the one you've already met is big-mouth Ravenpaw, my sister."

Riverpaw tilted her head to one side once more when Ravenpaw simply glared at them. Again she saw the odd glimmer in Ravenpaw's eyes. It was like a spark of recognition, like Sorreltail had explained to her one day during their training.

"When a cat recognizes someone, you see a spark in their eyes," Sorreltail had told her. "Just remember that even though they recognize you, they won't see you as a friend."

_So is Ravenpaw a friend or an enemy_? she wondered as she looked at the sleek-furred black cat.

"This is Riverpaw," Leafpaw meowed when an uneasy silence fell upon them.

She flinched when Leafpaw brushed her tail across her shoulders. She had been so busy watching Ravenpaw that she didn't notice the arrival of ShadowClan.

"Erm... hi," she whispered after ducking her head in embarrassment.

Silverpaw blinked in surprise at the sudden tension that filled the air. Then she let out a purr of amusement and shook her head.

"A little shy isn't she?" she asked.

"She doesn't talk much to strangers," Leafpaw explained with a shrug.

It was true. Riverpaw found it harder and harder to speak to strangers since Ashfur had left the Clan. Ever since she had received a new mentor her life went downhill quickly.

Sorreltail was a good mentor and patient with her, but it was never enough. Riverpaw wanted to learn how to fight for the Clan. But Sorreltail held her back and often told her it was better not to speak out. That was part of the reason she rarely spoke to other cats other than Leafpaw.

"WindClan's just arrived!" Flamepaw announced when he bounded over to them.

He looked at the RiverClan apprentices warily before sitting down beside Leafpaw. Flamepaw had a crush on Leafpaw, that much Riverpaw had learned.

The two of them were always sneaking off when they had the chance. Riverpaw's eyes narrowed as she wondered what the two would look like as mates. She shuddered at the idea and pushed the thoughts aside as Mudstar jumped onto the Great Rock.

Stormstar shifted slightly in her position beside Blackstar. The WindClan leader was known for picking fights with the other Clans. Riverpaw understood why Stormstar wanted to keep well away from Mudstar's sharp tongue.

"I'd like to begin the Gathering," Blackstar meowed.

When no cat argued, the large white tom rose to his paws. Riverpaw had always viewed Blackstar as a formidable opponent. He was bigger than most cats and stronger as well. She knew that he would always be seen as the ruthless ShadowClan leader, whereas Rowanclaw was a scrawny looking rabbit compared to her leader.

"The marshes of ShadowClan are beginning to dry up with this greenleaf heat, but that doesn't stop us from hunting," he began as a hushed silence fell upon the hollow. "We have three new apprentices that are here: Hollowpaw, Shrewpaw and Lizardpaw."

Riverpaw strained her eyes to see the three apprentices Blackstar had mentioned. All of them were a wide variety of pelt colors. Riverpaw was surprised to see a tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes sitting next to them. Her chin was raised with pride as she looked at Blackstar. Riverpaw noticed the odd look of happiness that gleamed within Brambleclaw's eyes as well.

_Are they good friends or something_? she wondered as she sat back down beside Leafpaw.

"WindClan is thriving this greenleaf!" Mudstar announced when he stepped forward. Blackstar rolled his eyes and simply ignored the taunting look that Mudstar gave him.

Amusement rose in Riverpaw's chest when she watched their exchange. Mudstar was already itching for a fight, but he was in for a number of scratches and bite marks if he thought he would win against the ShadowClan leader.

"We too have three new apprentices: Wingpaw, Amberpaw and Dustpaw are all here," the mottled brown tom meowed. "Tanglefur has given birth to her kits, and Lilytail has moved into the nursery."

Once Mudstar sat down and finished the tension that was rising seemed to wash away. Mistystar exchanged a look with Stormstar before rising to her paws.

"RiverClan also thrives," she explained. "Though the river is beginning to look a bit less full our bellies are kept filled by the plentiful prey in our territory. I have little else news to share."

"ThunderClan has also done well this greenleaf," Stormstar announced once Mistystar was finished. "Our Clan has little news to share, other than the dry weather and heat of the day keeping the prey away."

Amusement rose in Riverpaw once more when Stormstar made it sound like the Clan was thriving. This was the Clan's way of showing that they were not weak. They were going to defend their territory no matter what happened.

Once the Gathering was over Riverpaw decided to chat with the ShadowClan apprentices that were clustered around the tortoiseshell. They looked friendly enough compared to Ravenpaw, who was just plain grumpy from what Riverpaw could tell. Leafpaw was quick to follow her, seeing as she did most of the talking anyways.

They were stopped from meeting the other apprentices however when Stormstar approached them. Riverpaw's ears flattened in annoyance when the black, silver and gray she-cat looked down at them.

"It's time to leave," she meowed when looking down at Leafpaw, her apprentice.

"We met some RiverClan apprentices!" Leafpaw squealed when she gave an excited bounce. "They were pretty nice, except for Ravenpaw."

Stormstar's eyes flashed when Leafpaw mentioned Ravenpaw's name. Riverpaw stared at the leader in surprise when a look of fear gleamed within her eyes.

"Funny, Mistystar never mentioned Ravenpaw becoming an apprentice," Stormstar muttered under her breath.

Before Riverpaw could ask what she meant by that, Stormstar shook her head.

"We should get going," Brackenfur said when he reached them. Beside him were the three elders of the Clan, Cloudtail, Goldenflower and Frostfur. Goldenflower and Frostfur looked exhausted while Cloudtail's eyes were bright and alert.

_I always forget that he's moons younger than them_, Riverpaw thought.

"Very well, let us all return home safely," Stormstar rasped after an uneasy silence fell upon them.

Confusion gleamed within Riverpaw's eyes when she looked at her leader. Something was off in the way Stormstar acted since Leafpaw mentioned Ravenpaw's name. She wondered if it had anything to do with Ravenpaw's reaction when they had first met.

Either way she had an eerie feeling no good would come out of it. Stormstar was keeping secrets from the Clan, and every cat knew that secrets would only lead to destruction in the end.

* * *

**AN: I just love the ominous words that lead to the end. Stormstar is definitely in for a shock when she sees them together. Oh well, don't forget to review!**


	4. Twolegs in the River

**AN: Here's chapter four! Oh, and don't forget to check out my profile after reading this, I have important news posted. And that news includes a new website! Yep, I created a website dedicated to the stories that I've written here on good ol' FF. The site isn't finished yet, but you're more than welcomed to check it out and give out ideas :D**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Frustration swelled within Ravenpaw's chest as she ducked and rolled for the third time the following day. Beaverclaw had taken her to the training hollow for extra battle practice. They were working on the barrel roll - a move well known in RiverClan.

Ravenpaw had difficulty concentrating on her training. Her thoughts were still on that strange apprentice, Riverpaw. Every time she thought of Riverpaw that unexplained anger returned. Riverpaw's icy blue eyes had struck Ravenpaw as odd to begin with.

_There aren't many cats in ThunderClan with blue eyes_, she thought. Rainstorm and Snowstorm had blue eyes, but they were both gray and white. Surely Riverpaw's parents had been brown or tortoiseshell.

She was shaken from her thoughts by the thud of paws. Ravenpaw staggered back in surprise when she realized that Beaverclaw had stood right next to her.

"You're not paying attention," he said accusingly.

"I've got a lot on my mind," she admitted after shaking scraps of sand off of her pelt.

The huge tabby simply tilted his head to one side before flicking his tail across her shoulder.

"Come on furball, we still have work to do," he meowed after she glared at him.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance and tried it once more. She locked gazes with Beaverclaw before ducking her head and kicking out her back legs. Beaverclaw simply shrugged as she managed to reel over and land on the ground once more.

_StarClan, why is this so hard_? Ravenpaw demanded silently. No answers came for her. Ravenpaw guessed that StarClan would remain silent for some time now.

OoOo

Silverpaw watched happily as her brother dragged out old moss bedding. She had finished her battle training earlier just when Ravenpaw and Beaverclaw arrived. Now she had the rest of the day to enjoy the warmth of the sun and watch her brother moan about apprentice duties.

"You missed a spot Badgerpaw!" she shouted when he pushed out some more moss.

The black and white tom suddenly whirled around, fur bristling as he glared at her.

"Keep your jaws shut you mousebrain," he snapped.

Amusement swelled within her as Silverpaw watched her brother once more. Dawnflower wasn't going to let him get away with such rude words. he was after all the queen who had helped raise Feathertail, their mother. So Dawnflower was like their grandmother if anything else.

"I'm surprised he hasn't clawed your ears off yet," Foxpaw mewed when she emerged from the apprentice's den.

"He wouldn't dare," Silverpaw boasted. "Besides, Badgerpaw's all talk and no strike."

The ginger she-cat simply rolled her eyes and looked across the clearing, where Frogpelt, Mothpool and Hawkfrost sat together.

The three were siblings, though no cat would have ever guessed it. Silverpaw flicked her tail as she imagined what Hawkfrost had been like as a kit. Her father had always said that he was aggressive and pushy, but he meant well.

Mothpool on the other paw was gentle and kind to everyone she met. The dappled golden queen was expecting Beaverclaw's kits. They would be due sometime in a few days according to Robinwing.

"Hey Silverpaw, wanna go hunting?" Surprise flared within Silverpaw's heart when Thornpaw, Foxpaw's brother, approached her.

Thornpaw was one of the few toms that she got along with. Every time he spoke the breath caught in her throat. It was like she was incapable of speaking just because of the way he looked at her.

She coughed a little before nodding in agreement. Hunting was good for the Clan, especially during greenleaf. The river was beginning to dry up due to the lack of rain. With less fish in the river they had to rely on warm-blooded prey.

"Do you think those Twolegs will ever go away?" Thornpaw muttered when they heard the splashing sounds of Twoleg kits.

Annoyance pierced through Silverpaw when they reached the edge of the river. Sure enough she saw three Twoleg kits squealing in happiness as they splashed water at each other.

Her fur bristled as she thought of how much waste they were putting into the river. Not only was the river their only source of water, but it was their source of prey as well!

"Come on, we'd better find another place to hunt," Silverpaw mewed after shaking her head clear of the anger.

Twolegs couldn't help being so stupid. She knew little of why they did what they did. Maybe this was their way of cooling off during the worst of the heat. Or maybe they were just having fun. Either way she knew the Clan wasn't going to put up with it much longer.

OoOo

A huff escaped from Ravenpaw's lung when she landed on the sand. Amusement gleamed within Beaverclaw's eyes when she managed to grab hold of his paws with her claws. Though claws were not allowed during training he had allowed her for this move.

"I told you that it would finally come," he meowed once she retracted her claws.

Pride swelled within her when Ravenpaw shook the sand off her pelt.

"Can we go back now?" She was exhausted after practicing the move at least ten times. Each time she had failed until just now.

"I don't see why we can't," her mentor said with a shrug.

The two of them left the training hollow just as Foxpaw and Frogpelt arrived. Ravenpaw glanced at the black tom warily. Frogpelt wasn't anything like her father, Hawkfrost. But she was still wary of his bulky form nonetheless.

Her shoulders brushed against the reeds as they reached the camp. Beaverclaw explained to Mistystar how her training went. The RiverClan leader was impressed with the amount of progress Ravenpaw had made.

It was one simple move, but it was better than nothing. Even Hawkfrost looked impressed as he listened with twitching whiskers.

"Well done," Mistystar purred.

She was about to say something else when Sasha approached them. Beaverclaw dipped his head to Mistystar before joining Mothpool outside the nursery. Worry gleamed within Sasha's eyes when she looked at Mistystar and Hawkfrost.

"Have any of you seen Silverpaw?" she asked.

"She left with Thornpaw to go hunting," Hawkfrost explained.

Fear suddenly pierced through Ravenpaw as she thought of her friend. Silverpaw wasn't that good of a fighter. If she was caught out in the open she couldn't possibly fight back. Ravenpaw wasn't so sure about Thornpaw, but that didn't mean much to her.

"She's been gone for a long time," Sasha mewed. Her ears flattened before she looked away, as if ashamed to show her worry.

_Typical rogues_, Ravenpaw thought with a roll of her eyes. Then she scolded herself as she had to remember that Hawkfrost had been a rogue before joining the Clan.

"She'll be back, Thornpaw's a strong apprentice," Mistystar reassured her.

Sasha's ears flicked from side to side as she considered Mistystar's words. Eventually she sighed and trotted of to where Feathertail was sitting. The silver tabby looked surprised that Sasha of all cats had chosen to sit beside her.

Ravenpaw sighed when she realized that Mistystar was right. Normally she would have hared off to help her friend. But right now she was too exhausted to start any searches.

Instead she padded across the clearing and reached the apprentice's den, eager to curl up in her nest.

Exhaustion quickly took over as Ravenpaw curled up in her mossy nest. Sandpaw was fast asleep as well, tail wrapped over his nose. She didn't mind sleeping beside the pale ginger tom, but that was mostly because he rarely spoke to her.

"Rest well young Ravenpaw." A voice suddenly rose above the usual whispering around the camp. Ravenpaw jerked awake from the voice, but Sandpaw was still fast asleep. "Your journey is only just beginning."


	5. The Storm

**AN: Here's a long chapter! And this one gets a bit more exciting than the last chapter, which I think was rather boring. Anyways enjoy, and don't forget to check out my website! The link to it is on my profile.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Morning sunlight filtered through the apprentice's den, jostling Riverpaw awake. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped to her paws. By now most of the other apprentices were also wide awake. No cat had chosen to wake her up, which irritated her to no end.

She padded out of the den to see that Sorreltail was waiting for her. The tortoiseshell and white she-cat's tail flicked irritably when she noticed Riverpaw's arrival.

"You slept in," she grumbled accusingly.

"No one woke me," Riverpaw tried to point out.

"You shouldn't have to be woken up," Sorreltail growled. "As an apprentice it is your duty to wake yourself up just like everyone else."

Her fur bristled with annoyance before she bowed her head. Sorreltail was partly right - she should have woken herself up before the sun rose. Instead of arguing with her mentor, Riverpaw simply looked away and watched the elders creep out of their den.

"Let's go for some battle training," Sorreltail meowed once the tension ebbed away.

Excitement suddenly coursed through Riverpaw as she thought of the moves she would learn. Already she was becoming a skilled fighter. Sorreltail had noticed her aggression in the fighting stages and took advantage of it.

Her paws itched to know what they would learn next as Sorreltail led her to the training hollow. Leafpaw and Stormstar were already there. Both cats looked surprised by Sorreltail's arrival.

"We could start partner fighting," Stormstar suggested when she took a step back. "Leafpaw needs to learn some patience with her partner."

Stormstar shot Leafpaw a look that said she better not argue. Amusement coursed through Riverpaw as she watched. Leafpaw was always getting in trouble with her mentor, this was no different.

A smirk fell upon Riverpaw's face when she stalked over to where Leafpaw was sitting. The pale ginger she-cat sat at the edge of the training hollow. Her whiskers twitched with annoyance when she looked at Riverpaw, whose tail curled in amusement once more.

She watched as Stormstar and Sorreltail dropped into a crouch. Riverpaw kept a close eye on her mentor's movements. Sorreltail was smaller than Stormstar, which meant she could put on speed more easily.

Without warning she lunged forward, aiming for Sorreltail with her sheathed paws. Leafpaw gasped at her sudden surge and hissed in frustration.

Riverpaw felt her muscles churning as she suddenly slammed her paw against Stormstar's nose. Leafpaw saw what was coming and struck at Sorreltail, whose eyes flew wide in surprise. The two mentors were taken by surprise when their apprentices turned on them.

Once Riverpaw had jumped on Stormstar's back she knew what would happen next. She jumped off before Stormstar reared on her hind legs and rolled over. The move would have crushed Riverpaw, but she was fast enough to know what was going to take place.

"Not bad," Stormstar rasped after shaking dirt from her legs.

She wasn't finished yet. Riverpaw's tail lashed once before she lunged forward again. Stormstar narrowed her eyes just when Riverpaw bumped into her muzzle.

Without warning Stormstar suddenly grabbed Riverpaw by the scruff with her teeth. Pain pierced through Riverpaw when Stormstar threw her across the clearing. Leafpaw and Sorreltail had stopped their own battle training and stared in disbelief at the sudden anger Stormstar showed.

"What did you do that for?" Sorreltail demanded when Riverpaw just remained where she had rolled.

The pain had slowly ebbed away, leaving a dull throbbing as she opened her eyes slightly. Stormstar was shaking her head as if to clear it.

"I... I don't know," she admitted shakily. "You're not hurt, are you?"

The sudden worry in her voice made Riverpaw even angrier. If Stormstar really cared about her as an apprentice than she would have never attacked to begin with!

Riverpaw rose to her paws and ignored the pain that pierced through her shoulder. Stormstar was still watching her in concern, but she said nothing when Riverpaw limped away from the hollow.

She didn't care where she went, but getting away from the training hollow felt more important. Clouds had begun to gather around the sunhigh sky when she reached a small hollowed out tree. Without looking over her shoulder she crept into the hollow.

Surprise flared within Riverpaw when she saw an old dried up moss bed. The faint stench of blood filled her lungs when she opened them.

Whoever had used this nest in the past was long gone. At this point Riverpaw didn't care where she slept. As long as she could sleep off the pain that continued raking her body. Almost as soon as her eyes closed the sounds of thunder boomed overhead.

OoOo

Worry for her friend seeped through Leafpaw. Never before had she seen her mentor get so angry before. Sure Riverpaw had done foolish things such as ramming into Stormstar's nose. But that didn't mean Stormstar had to lung forward and throw the apprentice across the clearing.

The training session had been cut short when thunder rolled across the sky. Leafpaw was shaken from her anxiety when she saw the streaks of lightning that stretched above.

"We have to find Riverpaw!" Leafpaw yowled when Stormstar and Sorreltail returned from their search. They had gone further into the forest to find Riverpaw, but it was as if she had disappeared all together.

"Leafpaw, this weather is getting too dangerous," Sorreltail meowed. She tried to sound calm, but Leafpaw could see the anxiety in her eyes.

"You two go on back to camp," Stormstar suddenly told them. "I have nine lives to give. I'm going to look for Riverpaw."

Her eyes were clouded over, as if she regretted everything she had done. Leafpaw's claws buried into the ground as she imagined what Riverpaw must have thought. None of this would have happened had her mentor kept her cool.

Sorreltail nodded in agreement and bounded towards where the gorse tunnel was located. Leafpaw stared after the tortoiseshell and white she-cat. Once Sorreltail was gone she decided to hide beneath a patch of ferns while Stormstar bounded off in another direction.

Once Stormstar had disappeared Leafpaw surged out of the ferns. Rain was beginning to fall by the time Leafpaw reached the edge of the training hollow. A fierce wind had begun to pick up. Leafpaw's teeth ground together as she tried to remain calm through the torrent of rain and wind.

_Come on Leafpaw, she has to be around here somewhere_! Leafpaw tried telling herself.

Leafpaw's eyes widened when she picked up a familiar scent. Though the rain was still pouring she could pick up faint traces of Riverpaw's scent. Hope flared within Leafpaw's chest as she stalked through the undergrowth. Leafpaw felt her claws digging in the soil as she listened to the roar of thunder.

"Riverpaw!" she cried out the name, hoping she would find some sort of response.

When no sounds aside from the rain and thunder followed, Leafpaw's ears flattened in remorse.

_StarClan help me find her_, she begged silently.

OoOo

The pain had finally ebbed away by the time Riverpaw found herself dreaming. Her eyes snapped open when she heard the sounds of pawsteps approaching her.

A strange looking cat with ginger fur and starlight gleaming within his eyes stood in front of her.

Slowly she got to her paws and stared at the ginger cat in confusion.

"Am I... dead?" she asked.

Sympathy gleamed within the tom's eyes before he shook his head in response.

"I am afraid that this is only the beginning of your story," he rasped. "Do you know who I am?"

Riverpaw thought back for a few heartbeats, thinking of the stories the elders used to tell her. This cat had ginger fur like Firestar, the leader before Stormstar. He had died protecting the Clan and was honored because of his death.

"Are you... Firestar?" Her answer came out in a question when she looked at him.

"Yes, I am Firestar," the tom purred. "You are named Riverpaw, apprentice of ThunderClan and daughter of Squirreltail and Brambleclaw. But there is more to your story. You were gifted with abilities no cat can ever dream of having."

"What do you mean by abilities?" Riverpaw was even more confused than ever as she watched the ginger tom dip his head.

"You will learn in time what it means," he simply replied.

Before Riverpaw could ask him more questions, she felt something stir within her throat. Her mouth opened and immediately her lungs began to burn. She closed her eyes and felt heat brush against her fur. When they opened again Riverpaw realized that flames were lapping at the edge of the tree's hollow.

Horror coursed through Riverpaw when she realized that the forest was on fire. And she had nowhere to run.

* * *

**AN: Yep, Riverpaw's in trouble now. Wonder how she'll get out?**


	6. Flames of the Storm

**AN: Continued directly from chapter five, here's chapter six! Hope you all enjoy it, and thanks for the awesome reviews :D**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Panic gripped Riverpaw's heart when she felt the heat of the fire. She had never faced a fire before, but instinct told her that this was bad.

There was no place for her to run as the fire spread towards the hollowed tree. She coughed as the smoke began to fill her lungs. The burning sensation refused to leave when she peered at the hollow's entrance.

Without thinking about it Riverpaw lunged forward through the gaping hole. The flames that surrounded it had barely grazed her fur as she rolled into the undergrowth. It was the heat that had made her mind go numb with pain.

_Okay, that was a really dumb thing to do_, she thought as she ground her teeth together.

"Riverpaw!" Her ears pricked forward at the voice that screeched through the roar of the flames.

The apprentice barely had time to think as she bounded forward blindly through the undergrowth. She had to find the speaker of that familiar voice.

Riverpaw's eyes widened when she nearly barreled into Leafpaw. The pale ginger she-cat leapt back in surprise. Her hackles raised until she recognized Riverpaw's scent.

"Riverpaw, we were so worried about you!" Leafpaw mewed when she gave her friend a bump in the nose.

"Yeah right," Riverpaw muttered with a roll of her eyes. She was surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded. "I bet Stormstar didn't care."

"There's... a fire!" Leafpaw's voice rose to a pitch when the flames began to spread. "We have to warn the Clan!"

Before Riverpaw could argue the apprentice had already run off. The flames were moving faster than they were. With the undergrowth so dry there was nothing that could stop the fire that began to take over the forest.

Horror coursed through Riverpaw as she wondered if the Clan would even survive.

She fought back another cough when they reached the camp. Already she could hear cats yowling in panic as they caught the smell of smoke in the air. She heard Brackenfur giving orders to keep everyone calm. The ThunderClan deputy seemed overwhelmed by the amount of chaos that filled the clearing.

The two apprentices bounded forward and nearly ran into Sorreltail, who was knocked aside in the process.

"Riverpaw, thank StarClan you're safe!" she gasped when she spotted Riverpaw. "What... happened to your fur?"

"I jumped out of a burning tree," Riverpaw explained.

She hadn't even noticed the scorched bits of fur along her back and neck. Now she was focused on what they had to do next. Find the Clan and make sure everyone got out safely before the fire struck.

"Brackenfur, we need to get everyone to sunningrocks!" Cloudtail yowled when Brackenfur nearly tackled the long-haired elder.

"Okay, everyone gather around me," Brackenfur called out as the panic became worse. "We need to get to sunningrocks before the fire spreads here. Make sure the dens are empty and have a partner with you."

Riverpaw exchanged a worried look with Leafpaw before bounding into the apprentice's den. Fortunately it looked as though all of the apprentices had escaped. Cedarpaw emerged from the medicine cat's den with bundles of herbs in his jaws.

"Do you really need those?" Brackenfur demanded when Cedarpaw approached them.

"They're catmint," he replied. His voice was muffled by the bundle of leaves, but Riverpaw heard him loud and clear.

_We'll need that after the fire_, she thought with a shudder.

Once the Clan was gathered they made a run for the outside of camp. By now the flames had reached the gorse tunnel and were spreading quickly. Riverpaw's fur bristled as she imagined the flames scorching every inch of the forest.

The only way out was by crossing the river into enemy territory. She didn't like the idea of crossing into RiverClan's territory anymore than her Clanmates. But at this point ThunderClan didn't have any other choice. It was cross the RiverClan border or go across the more dangerous Thunderpath, which also scared Riverpaw. Her ears flattened at the thought as she bounded after her Clanmates. She knew that ShadowClan would never help out another Clan in need.

Soon the roars of the flames became overwhelming for Riverpaw as she ran alongside Leafpaw. She wasn't sure how much more of it she could take before they finally reached sunningrocks. Her fur bristled with unease when she saw RiverClan cats patrolling the border's edge. Standing on ThunderClan's side of the border was Stormstar. Her tail raised high when she recognized her Clan bounding forward.

"Is everyone here?" she demanded when she reached Brackenfur. Leaning against him was Sorreltail, whose shoulders seemed shrugged in exhaustion as she watched the ThunderClan leader. "Riverpaw, thank StarClan you're safe!" she added when she spotted Riverpaw crouched beside Leafpaw. "What happened to your fur?" Her questions were put on pause when the flames reached sunningrocks.

"Cross the river now," Mistystar yowled when she pushed her way through the crowd. Her fur was standing on end when she eyed the fire with glowing blue eyes. For a moment Riverpaw was worried that the Clan would refuse to accept her help.

To Riverpaw's relief the Clan thought better of it and followed Stormstar as she led the way across. She bounded after them, feeling something other than panic as she crossed the cool river. The water ran down her fur as she stepped out of it.

"Thank you for providing us shelter," Stormstar meowed in a formal voice when she dipped her head to Mistystar.

The gray she-cat's tail flicked before she responded, "I'm just glad that no one was killed."

Stormstar nodded in agreement as she followed Mistystar. There were a few warriors that Riverpaw recognized who surrounded the Clan. She spotted Feathertail, a silver tabby with leafy green eyes. Sasha, a former rogue, was also part of the group.

The large group reached what appeared to be nothing more than a pile of reeds. A willow tree grew near the edge of the reeds; it's roots grew around the reeds and spread towards the stream that ran nearby. Riverpaw was surprised by the amount of streams that ran through here. She didn't know how RiverClan cats could stand it.

"What are they doing here?" Riverpaw's fur bristled slightly when she spotted Ravenpaw sitting near the back of what she guessed was RiverClan's camp. The apprentice's nose was wrinkled in disgust when she glared at the newcomers. "They reek of smoke!"

"Shut your mouth furball," a huge tabby cat snapped.

Ravenpaw's eyes flashed with defiance before she thought better of arguing. Riverpaw rolled her eyes in annoyance. This was one apprentice she would rather avoid.

"How long do you think it will take for the fire to go out?" Frostfur rasped.

"I'm not sure," Stormstar admitted.

"You are welcome to stay here until it passes," Mistystar meowed. "ThunderClan has faced this problem before and Crookedstar let Bluestar's Clan stay in camp until the fire passed."

Relief gleamed within Stormstar's eyes before she dipped her head thankfully. "Thank you, Mistystar," she murmured.

"The apprentices can sleep in the apprentice's den - we have plenty of room for them," Mistystar added. She went on about the warriors sleeping in the warrior's den and so on. Riverpaw was only half listening as she studied the RiverClan apprentices clustered outside their den.

_They aren't going to accept us anytime soon_, she thought with a flick of her tail. She hoped and prayed to StarClan that the fire passed on quickly. ThunderClan needed their camp back now more than ever.

* * *

**AN: And so begins the rivalry between Ravenpaw and Riverpaw... ah how the fun shall start XD I have big plans for the both of them, and it all begins in this book.**


	7. Gathering Moss

**AN: Chapter update, yay! Now I know that the next couple of chapters are going to be boring, but they are necessary for the plot. As for the story itself, thanks for your reviews everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Irritation clawed at Ravenpaw as she watched the ThunderClan cats. Silverpaw had returned from her hunting trip just hours ago, claiming that she and Thornpaw had gotten trapped by Twoleg kits playing in the river. Ravenpaw knew the truth behind her friend's lie, and she wasn't happy about that either.

"Come on, instead of moping around you can help these cats," Beaverclaw meowed when he noticed her ears flattening in annoyance.

"Why should I help them?" she demanded.

Her eyes fell upon Stormstar, the ThunderClan leader. The look of shock and recognition was obvious. Ravenpaw felt her fur crawling with unease when Stormstar looked away. It was as if Stormstar was afraid of her!

Ravenpaw raised her chin slightly and ignored the look of fear within Stormstar's eyes. If the ThunderClan leader wanted to look weak in front of RiverClan, that was fine by her.

"If you help them Mistystar might actually make you a warrior," Beaverclaw suddenly growled.

As if the words themselves had summoned strength within her, Ravenpaw jumped to her paws. She glared at her mentor before disappearing into the apprentice's den. Foxpaw, Thornpaw and Sandpaw were glaring at all of the ThunderClan apprentices.

"They stink!" Foxpaw retorted. "Don't you ever wash your fur in the river?"

The ThunderClan apprentices stared at Foxpaw as if she had grown wings. Ravenpaw's lips curled in amusement as she watched them. This was either going to be fun, or very bad. Foxpaw knew just how get under the skin of her enemies.

"Come on you guys, the least we could do is help them build nests," Ravenpaw meowed.

Foxpaw's eyes widened in disbelief. Ravenpaw rolled her own eyes as she thought of the insults she would likely receive when this was over. She glared at Foxpaw, as if daring her younger denmate to argue. The ginger apprentice simply bowed her head before ducking out of the den.

Even Silverpaw and Badgerpaw were shocked by their littermate's sudden change in mood. Ravenpaw simply grinned at them and winked. She knew exactly what she was doing. If she played her paws right, Mistystar would hold a warrior ceremony for her within a moon.

"We can find our own moss," one of the ThunderClan apprentice suddenly scoffed.

"Yeah, but we know the best place for it," Foxpaw meowed with a smirk.

Ravenpaw snorted in annoyance when she realized where Foxpaw was headed. Finding the moss where a nest of fire ants lived was not a good idea. She was trying to look good in front of Mistystar, not make the Clan think she was some prank-loving kit.

"_I'll_ show them where the moss is," she growled.

The ginger she-cat opened her mouth to argue when Sandpaw nudged her irritably. Riverpaw, the apprentice that Ravenpaw had met at the Gathering, rose to her paws. Ravenpaw narrowed her eyes when she saw that patches of Riverpaw's fur had been burned away. There was also a set of new looking scars on her back that Ravenpaw had just noticed.

_What happened to her_? Ravenpaw wondered as Riverpaw followed her out of the den. Leafpaw was close at Riverpaw's side, tail curled in amusement as the two spoke to one another in whispers. Ravenpaw wished that Silverpaw was with her, but her friend was with Thornpaw at the moment.

"Riverpaw, you need those wounds looked at!" Stormstar announced. Riverpaw flinched as though Stormstar had struck her down. Confusion gleamed within Stormstar's eyes before she shook her head. "Robinwing has offered to look after those who were injured in the fire," she explained when she approached the apprentice. Riverpaw opened her mouth as if to argue, than seemed to think better of it. Ravenpaw watched with narrowed eyes as the apprentice skirted off towards the warrior's den.

"Erm, that's the warrior's den," she muttered. Riverpaw froze in midstep before turning around to glare at her. "The medicine cat's den is under that dip in the land, where the raised root is," she explained. Her tail pointed towards the willow tree where Mistystar held meetings. Underneath was where the medicine cat's den was located. Robinwing kept all sorts of herbs organized underneath in case there was an emergency like this. Riverpaw's tail flicked irritably before she followed Ravenpaw's explanation.

"Thanks," Riverpaw grumbled before skirting off towards the willow.

Stormstar's tail flicked as she watched the young cat disappear. For a moment Ravenpaw thought she was going to say something else. The black, silver and gray she-cat's fur was bristling slightly when she gazed down at Ravenpaw.

Without another word she bounded away to join the rest of her ThunderClan warriors.

"Well that was weird," Leafpaw meowed. "Stormstar's been acting strange ever since the fire happened. Maybe it has something to do with the Gathering. Or maybe there's nothing wrong at all-" Ravenpaw cut her off with a glare.

_Someone needs to learn to shut their yap_, she thought angrily.

"Come on, let's go find that moss," she muttered crossly.

Leafpaw continued ranting on about her mentor's attitude and whatnot. Ravenpaw sighed in annoyance as she droned out the noise. She was shocked that any cat would tolerate such blabbering. Leafpaw's energy seemed endless as she continued speaking.

"...So my grandfathers would be both Firestar and Tigerstar I suppose," she finished when they reached the rocks where the moss grew.

Ravenpaw had managed to drone out most of what Leafpaw had said. But hearing about Tigerstar sent shivers of excitement down her spine. Tigerstar was known for his cruelty to the Clans. He had led the pack of dogs into the forest and nearly destroyed ThunderClan as a result. He had led BloodClan into the forest as well. But in the end it was his own selfish behavior that killed him.

"Here's the moss," she meowed.

Sure enough there was plenty of moss growing on one side of the boulders. A field of them stretched out around the river. Because of the constant moisture they received moss was abundant here. Apprentices were always told to gather moss here on their first day. Ravenpaw had learned the hard way that the middle was the best place to start.

Together the two of them began working at the moss, clawing at it until there was enough for several apprentices. Leafpaw gasped when she felt the water touch her fur after shaking out the moss. Ravenpaw watched in amusement as Leafpaw struggled to keep hold of her moss while keeping her fur dry.

"Don't you forest cats ever get your paws wet?" she demanded.

"Not usually. Most of the time we jump over streams or drink from soaked moss. We don't like getting our fur wet!" Leafpaw's mouth opened in shock when she nearly fell backwards into the river. Ravenpaw jumped before she could fall in and grabbed her by the scruff.

"You can thank me later," Ravenpaw meowed after dragging Leafpaw back to the shore. Her voice was muffled by sodden fur as she spat out brown and ginger tufts.

Leafpaw's eyes narrowed into tiny slits before she nodded. Once they had enough moss collected the two of them returned to camp. It was close to dusk by the time they returned, and Ravenpaw's shoulders felt heavy with exhaustion.

_I need to remember not to take her_, she told herself.

Once the moss was gathered inside the den Ravenpaw flopped herself on her own nest. She was relieved to be back in camp where she could finally relax. However her relaxation wasn't meant to last when she saw a shadow forming near the entrance of the den.

She peered outside to see Stormstar sitting nearby. The ThunderClan leader was staring at the nursery. Minnowtail was sitting outside with Mothpool beside her. Hawkfrost was busy speaking to his sister while he ignored the glares Minnowtail gave him.

"Why are you ignoring her?" Ravenpaw's heart nearly skipped a beat when Stormstar whispered the words. She stared at the ThunderClan leader in disbelief before shaking her head.

Maybe she had just imagined it. She could hear the longing in Stormstar's voice, the desperate need to know something. Ravenpaw had felt that need too when she learned that Hawkfrost was her father. Even though she knew he was her father she still considered Silverpaw and Badgerpaw her littermates.

Ravenpaw sighed in frustration as she rested her head on her paws. Maybe she would understand when she was older.

* * *

**AN: Stormstar almost gave herself away there didn't she? Better watch out, she has a little spy XP Next chapter should be up in a couple of days.**


	8. Revelation

**AN: Another chapter update, this time earlier than ever! I know it's shorter than usual but I wasn't sure what else to add without giving too much away. Enjoy :P**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Riverpaw ground her teeth together as she ignored the stinging of herbs. Robinwing and Cedarpaw had applied a poultice of herbs to her wounds, but were more concerned about the marks they had left. Now she was left sitting in the medicine cat's den while listening to them argue like a flock of angry sparrows.

"Those markings are something I've seen before, but I can't remember where," Robinwing admitted after Cedarpaw went on about this being ThunderClan's problem.

In truth Riverpaw would have rather left it alone. She didn't know much about rare markings but she had a feeling that this was nothing but trouble for her.

"Just leave now," Cedarpaw grumbled. "As long as you don't overdo it you should be fine."

The dark brown apprentice nodded eagerly before skirting out of the den. She was more than happy to get away from the medicine cats who were always arguing. Cedarpaw seemed happy to have an older cat to talk with even if they did argue.

_Maybe Robinwing will be good for him_, she thought as she padded across the clearing.

She spotted Echopaw chattering excitedly to Leafpaw. The two she-cats often got into arguments over who was the better hunter. Riverpaw rolled her eyes as she wondered what kind of argument they would get into this time.

"You're back!" Leafpaw exclaimed when she noticed Riverpaw's return.

"Did they do anything to help?" Echopaw asked.

"No, they were just arguing," Riverpaw replied with a shrug.

"Stormstar's going to hold a warrior ceremony for Flamepaw and Honeypaw," Leafpaw suddenly mewed.

Riverpaw stared at Leafpaw in surprise. Would Stormstar hold a ceremony in the middle of RiverClan camp? She glanced around to see that warriors were gossiping like old friends. Some even purred and shared tongues as if they were no longer rivals.

What would happen to their friendship once the Clan left? She wondered if this meant bad news for the future of ThunderClan.

"Mistystar has agreed that it is important to hold warrior ceremonies, even if it is not within our own camp." Riverpaw stiffened when she heard Stormstar's yowl from the willow tree. Ravenpaw had said that was where Clan meetings were held. Sure enough she spotted the RiverClan leader sitting beside Stormstar, who looked more than uncomfortable as she addressed the two Clans. "Dustpelt, Rainstorm, do you believe that your apprentices are ready to become warriors?"

"Flamepaw has exceeded my expectations," Dustpelt meowed with a dip of his head.

"Honeypaw is more than ready," Rainstorm added as if challenging Dustpelt's own words.

"Then I, Stormstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors so that they may look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Flamepaw, Honeypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Flamepaw replied.

"I do." Honeypaw's voice was so quiet that Riverpaw strained to hear them.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Flamepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flamestrike. StarClan honors you for your courage and fighting skills, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan."

Flamestrike's eyes glittered with triumph as she jumped down to touch her nose on his forehead. Riverpaw rolled her own eyes and wondered if he was going to get a big head because of his sudden status upgrade.

"Honeypaw, from this moment on you will be known as-" Stormstar was suddenly cut off by Honeypaw's pleading cry. Her eyes widened in disbelief when Honeypaw sprang to her paws.

"Wait, I would like to choose my own warrior name!" she announced when cats whispered to one another in shock. Stormstar nodded for her to go on while Brackenfur and Sorreltail simply gaped in embarrassment. "I want to be called Honeyleaf. It's... it's what Aspenpaw wanted to be called."

"Very well then," Stormstar sighed. "From this moment on you will be known as Honeyleaf, in honor of Aspenpaw. We welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan."

Riverpaw bowed her head when Honeyleaf mentioned Aspenpaw's name. The tortoiseshell had been missed by many ThunderClan cats. She had died a hero by saving Stormstar from a fatal blow by a dark warrior known as Shadowpelt. Most cats from the other Clans knew nothing of Aspenpaw or what she did.

"Flamestrike! Honeyleaf! Flamestrike! Honeyleaf!" The Clan cheered their names - even RiverClan joined in. Riverpaw was surprised by the amount of joy that spread from cat to cat.

_Don't they remember that we have to leave_? she wondered as she felt her ears flattening.

Once the meeting was over all of the Clan shared fresh-kill and chattered on about the unexpected ceremony. Riverpaw found herself tossing a pebble in the sandy ground.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll remember us," Leafpaw mewed when she noticed Riverpaw's anxious look.

"It's not them I'm worried about," she muttered.

She didn't bother explaining her anxieties about the Clans parting ways. It would be difficult to watch.

Without thinking of where she was headed Riverpaw began to wander around the camp. There was too much going on that she couldn't ignore. Larchwing was purring as she whispered to Stormfur, a RiverClan warrior. Riverpaw spotted Stormstar sitting next to Mistystar as they discussed Clan life. But sitting nearby was Hawkfrost.

Riverpaw blinked when she studied Hawkfrost's features for the first time. There was something oddly familiar about his eyes that sent chills down her spine. Even the way his fur rippled reminded her of herself and another apprentice she was afraid to name.

She gasped when the realization finally hit her. Now she understood why Hawkfrost looked so much like her as she gazed into one of the many streams. Her blue eyes looked almost exactly like his, only they were colder looking.

Hawkfrost was her father!

* * *

**AN: Le gasp, we _totally_ didn't see that one coming now did we? XD Anyways... yeah, next chapter will be Ravenpaw's point of view, and I may switch back into Silverpaw depending on how I feel.**


	9. Reflections

**AN: Chapter update! I might do a double update tonight since I'm in a typing mood. After seeing the latest episode of Tron Uprising it's sort of inspired me to write a chapter for my other story as well ^^ Either way enjoy while you can!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"I don't get why we have to share fresh-kill with them," Ravenpaw muttered as she grabbed a fish from the pile.

Three days had passed since ThunderClan fled from the fire. In those three days Ravenpaw had begun to notice several things. One was that she had discovered a strange liking to the forest. Ravenpaw had also noticed that she and Riverpaw were more alike than she would have liked.

_We both want the Clans separate_, she thought as she garbled down the fish. _She has the same dark brown fur as I do_.

Ravenpaw shook her head at the disturbing thoughts. She wanted nothing to do with the ThunderClan apprentice. She wanted life in RiverClan back to normal now more than ever. But that wasn't going to happen with the fire that had just struck the forest.

"I'm sending scouts to see if it's safe to go back," she heard Brackenfur meow when she passed him.

She raised her chin hopefully when Rainstorm, Brightheart and Longtail nodded in agreement. Maybe she would get her wish now!

"Ravenpaw, battle training!" Her tail lowered in annoyance when she heard Beaverclaw shout her name.

The black and brown apprentice stalked after her mentor as he led the way towards the training clearing. She was surprised to see several ThunderClan apprentices and their mentors gathered around the clearing's edge.

The nosy apprentice known as Shalepaw was busy keeping Sootpelt at bay with several blows at once. Ravenpaw's nose wrinkled in annoyance as she watched them. Shalepaw was a good for nothing bigmouth from what she had seen. He acted like the leader of the ThunderClan apprentices.

Ravenpaw rolled her eyes when she spotted Leafpaw and Stormstar at the clearing as well. She was unaware that patrols were being sent to make sure that the forest was safe once more. Ravenpaw wondered if she even cared about the old ThunderClan territory.

"I'd rather not show you ThunderClanner's our fighting moves," Beaverclaw hissed when Stormstar approached him. "Why don't you go further off towards the river. We can keep an eye on you from there." His eyes were narrowed into tiny slits as Stormstar was about to speak. She thought better of it and dipped her head.

She smirked when the ThunderClan cats disappeared beyond the hills. Beaverclaw knew exactly how to put a lesser Clan in their place.

Once the group was gone she watched as Beaverclaw strode across the clearing. Ravenpaw's tail flicked from side to side as she watched his every move. She was careful to make sure she didn't give away any signs of weakness. Her lips curled in the beginnings of a snarl before she lunged forward.

Beaverclaw hardly had time to react when she barreled into his back. The huge tabby grunted when he was shoved forward. Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched with triumph before she jumped back just in time to avoid his paws. The tabby's expression was filled with amusement when he tried blocking a hit from her own paws.

She kept an eye on Beaverclaw's movements. He was bulkier than she was and would use his weight against her. She needed to think quickly before he took advantage of her smaller size. So Ravenpaw did just that and kicked out with her back legs before springing into his muzzle. Beaverclaw hissed in surprise at the sudden impact and tried to shake her off.

"Alright alright!" he grunted when she finally jumped off. "You're definitely getting better with your fighting skills," he continued once he shook off the dust from his pelt. "But you lack patience, which is necessary in a battle."

"When you're in battle there's no such thing as patience!" Ravenpaw snapped after shaking her head in frustration.

Beaverclaw looked down at her angrily. "If you cannot learn patience than I will hold off your warrior ceremony," he hissed. "Even if Hawkfrost is your father."

With those final words he stalked away from the clearing, leaving her standing in shock. Ravenpaw's ears flattened before she tried to shake off the uneasy feeling. Beaverclaw was always trying to get under her skin like everyone else. This was no different.

She padded across the sandy clearing, eager to get back to camp. By now sunhigh had arrived and the heat was becoming almost unbearable. Ravenpaw's fur bristled slightly as she tried to keep herself cool. She didn't want any cat thinking that she was weak.

Maybe Beaverclaw was right. She didn't have much patience when it came to battle training. All she ever wanted to do was prove that she was the strongest apprentice around. Doing so meant she couldn't focus on those weaker than her. Yet she had proven herself time and time again in front of Mistystar.

"You're... Ravenpaw, right?" The apprentice stiffened when she heard her name. She spun around and searched every patch of bush or grass until she spotted a pair of icy blue eyes. Ravenpaw's fur bristled with annoyance when she realized who had called her name.

"What do _you_ want?" she demanded in a sour voice.

Riverpaw stepped out of the bushes, tail twitching with anxiety as she studied Ravenpaw carefully. Ravenpaw's ears flattened in annoyance when her question was followed with silence.

"I was just... wondering why we look so much alike," Riverpaw finally mewed after stepping back.

"We look nothing alike!" Ravenpaw spat.

Her eyes narrowed when Riverpaw looked into the stream that fed into the river. She wanted nothing to do with this strange cat - especially when she accused her of looking alike.

"Have you looked at our reflections?" Riverpaw sounded like she was speaking from a distant place.

"No, and I don't want to," Ravenpaw muttered under her breath.

Curiosity suddenly began to take over. What Riverpaw said made sense to her. She had never looked at her reflection while the ThunderClan cats were around. Maybe there was some way of explaining her need to visit the forest.

Her tail lashed in annoyance as she gave in. Riverpaw was sitting still as stone as she watched Ravenpaw's reaction.

Ravenpaw stared at the water in disbelief when she saw her reflection for the first time in days. Her eyes grew as wide as moons when she realized that Riverpaw was right. They had the same dark brown fur, just with different markings.

She gaped at Riverpaw after a few heartbeats of silence followed. They even had the same faces aside from Ravenpaw's nicked ear.

"I... I don't understand!" she snarled. "Why do we look alike?"

Riverpaw's fur bristled slightly before she shook her head. "You said that Hawkfrost is your father, right?" Ravenpaw's lips drew back in another snarl. She had said nothing about Hawkfrost being her father in front of this mousebrained apprentice! "My mother gave me up when I was a kit. At least that's what Squirreltail told me. She said she couldn't take care of me so I was given to Squirreltail."

"So you're saying that your mother is some random she-cat," Ravenpaw growled. "That has nothing to do with me."

Anger churned within her belly as she tried to understand what this meant. Riverpaw was right when she said they looked alike. That didn't mean they could be related in any way.

"I'm going," Ravenpaw hissed after turning away from the stream.

She didn't want to discuss this any further. Her mind began spinning as she thought of what Riverpaw had said. None of it could be true. They were_ not_ related just because they looked alike. She was going to put distance between herself and Riverpaw.

* * *

**AN: Ravenpaw in denial... something tells me this isn't going to end well. Either way I'm glad about the way this chapter ended :D**


	10. Leaving At Last

**AN: Here's a new chapter, yay! Update on my fansite on the alliance page. Not sure if anyone will notice the update. Also, from now on I'm going to take away the allegiance part and just post ThunderClan characters. You can see who the other cats are on my website :) Thanks everyone for the reviews, and enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Riverpaw watched with narrowed eyes as Ravenpaw stalked off.

_You're my sister whether you like it or not_, she thought.

She didn't like the idea of being related to some stuck-up apprentice like Ravenpaw. It seemed odd that they were raised in different Clans to begin with. She knew that Hawkfrost was her father, and that he was Ravenpaw's father as well.

None of it made sense to her as to why their father had separated them at birth. It explained why Squirreltail had said her mother couldn't raise her properly.

"Riverpaw!" She stiffened when she heard Brackenfur call out her name. "Have you seen Stormstar or the other mentors?"

The golden brown tabby had emerged from the reeds where Ravenpaw had disappeared to. Riverpaw shook her head in response. Brackenfur's whiskers drooped before he looked away in annoyance.

"The patrol I sent out came back and said it was safe to go back," he muttered. "The longer we stay here the harder it will be to leave."

"Should I go find her?" Riverpaw's teeth ground together as she imagined what Stormstar would do when she found her. They weren't exactly on good terms.

"Tell her to meet me at camp," Brackenfur meowed with a nod.

With those words he left to return to the Clan. Riverpaw shook her head and tried not to think of Stormstar's angry eyes glaring down at her. She shuddered at the memories of feeling teeth wrench around her for no reason.

She could not forget what Stormstar had done to her. There had been something in the leader's eyes that day that sent chills down her spine.

Riverpaw shook her head and tried not to think about it as she picked up Stormstar's scent. The ThunderClan leader was with the other mentors and their apprentices. Sorreltail had stayed behind to share tongues with Brackenfur, but Riverpaw didn't mind.

She trailed after the streams that ran through the territory. She didn't stop until she heard the sounds of paws scuffling against sand. Riverpaw raised her chin to see that Stormstar was speaking quietly to Sootpelt and Sandstorm. Their apprentices were busy practicing their fighting moves in ways that made Riverpaw roll her eyes. Shalepaw knew nothing about keeping balanced or fighting back. Emberpaw was too quick to fight and didn't think about the results.

"Brackenfur wanted to see you." Riverpaw tried to sound as formal as she could, but even that was enough to make the three warriors jump in surprise. Stormstar especially looked startled as she whirled around to face Riverpaw. "He said that it was important," she added in a softer voice.

Without warning she whirled around and bounded away, eager to get away from them.

OoOo

Leafpaw watched sadly as her friend disappeared beyond the ferns. Ever since Stormstar turned on her Riverpaw had been acting strange. She didn't know what it was like to have someone you trusted turn on you. Maybe if she did she could comfort Riverpaw. But for now she was left standing there in disbelief.

"We'd better head back," Stormstar meowed after shaking her head doubtfully.

The pale ginger she-cat looked at her siblings before following her mentor. Leafpaw knew that Stormstar wanted to stay longer. She just didn't know why the ThunderClan leader wanted to stay.

Once the group reached the RiverClan's camp Leafpaw could see why Brackenfur wanted to leave. Leafpaw's eyes narrowed when she saw Flamestrike cuddling up to a she-cat known as Pebblespeck. The mottled tabby's tail flicked from side to side as she listened to Flamestrike brag.

Excitement coursed through Leafpaw as she wondered what they would find in ThunderClan's territory. Surely by now the forest would have recovered? She wanted to be back in her own nest by nightfall. She was sure that was how the others felt, despite the close bond they were forming with RiverClan.

She spotted Riverpaw lingering near the edge of the reeds. Sitting beside Riverpaw was a cat Leafpaw never expected to see. Her eyes widened in disbelief when Ravenpaw glared back at her.

_Why is she hanging out with that bossy furball_? Leafpaw wondered.

"Brackenfur, has the search patrol come back?" Stormstar asked when she approached her deputy.

The golden brown tabby nodded and went on explaining what the patrol had found. ThunderClan warriors leaned forward, eager to find out what had happened to their territory.

"So it is safe to go back," Stormstar sighed when Brackenfur finished. Mistystar had padded forward to find out what was going on. Hawkfrost was close beside her, his blue eyes icy as ever.

Leafpaw felt herself shuddering under the deputy's calm stare. There was something about Hawkfrost that she didn't trust or like. The dark brown tom was bulky and powerful when it came to fighting. Leafpaw knew that he would _not_ make a suitable leader for RiverClan.

"We will be leaving now," Stormstar meowed as cats began to gather around her. "Mistystar, we cannot thank you enough for providing us shelter." Her voice sounded hollow as she thanked the RiverClan leader, as if she regretted every word.

Leafpaw remembered how hard Stormstar had fought over sunningrocks. She had a feeling that Mistystar was going to take advantage of the favor Stormstar owed her.

"I hope you find peace in the forest," Mistystar told her with a dip of her head. "May StarClan keep you and your Clan safe."

Stormstar looked taken aback by Mistystar's kind words. She dipped her head thankfully and gathered the rest of the ThunderClan warriors. Leafpaw's shoulders sagged in relief when she realized that it was finally time to leave.

OoOo

Anxiety coursed through Riverpaw as she studied her new-found sister. No matter how much Ravenpaw tried to push her away, she couldn't deny that they were related by blood. Ravenpaw had the same piercing gaze as Stormstar. Riverpaw had the same icy gaze as Hawkfrost.

"We need to meet up again," she suddenly mewed as Stormstar gathered up the Clan.

"Why should I meet up with the likes of you?" Ravenpaw demanded. Her fur was bristling slightly, but Riverpaw could tell that she was just as curious.

"Because we need to find out the truth," Riverpaw murmured in a softer voice. "We need to find out why our parents separated us. And I think the only way we can do that is by working together." Ravenpaw's eyes flashed with anger, but before she could argue, Riverpaw was called over by Sorreltail. "Meet me by sunningrocks tomorrow at moonhigh," she whispered before dashing off.

Riverpaw's tail curled with excitement as she realized that this was going to be more than just a meeting.

She was going to spend time with her sister.

* * *

**AN: Awe, Riverpaw's excited about meeting with Ravenpaw... should be interesting to see what happens when Stormstar and Hawkfrost find out :P**


	11. Half Moon Meeting

**AN: Sorry it took a while to get this posted. I've been busy working on my other stories :P I might update Burning River too depending on how I feel. Also just for a heads up, I MIGHT put Strongest Storm series on hold after this book is finished. I'm not sure yet, but don't get too worried about it.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Ravenpaw wasn't sure what to think of Riverpaw after the ThunderClan cats had left. Part of her was angry that Riverpaw thought they were related. Yet another part of her longed to understand why they looked so much alike. She cursed her own curiosity and wished nothing more for things to go back to normal.

Her claws sank into the sandy ground as she studied the fur along her legs. True, she did look like Riverpaw. But their markings were different. She had patches of brown fur that were so dark that it was almost impossible to make out. There were also faint silver markings along the edges of her paws that she had never noticed.

She only knew one cat with black and silver markings. And the thought of the name sent chills down Ravenpaw's spine. If what she thought was true, than that meant her mother was from a different Clan. To make things worse her own father had taken two mates.

The apprentice skirted across the clearing as she watched Silverpaw share tongues with Thornpaw. Since their nightly adventure they had been spending more time together. Ravenpaw rolled her eyes and wondered if this was the last time she would see her friend. Silverpaw had always been interested in toms, especially Thornpaw. Ravenpaw knew she should be happy for Silverpaw, but her stomach just churned with disgust.

"How can you fall in love at that age?" she wondered out loud.

"Maybe you would know if you felt love for the first time," meowed another cat.

Ravenpaw nearly leaped out of her fur when she whirled around to see Mosspelt looking down at her.

"I'm not going to give up everything just for stupid love," Ravenpaw spat. "Love makes you weak and useless in fighting."

Mosspelt's eyes glowed with wariness as she studied Ravenpaw. Ravenpaw held her stare defiantly, ready for any sharp retort Mosspelt would make.

"It is your choice whether or not you will have kits," the elder murmured. "My kits are apprentices now, and I am an elder, but I would do it all over again if I could. Raising a family is the best life StarClan can offer to a warrior."

Ravenpaw simply glared at Mosspelt as she staggered away to join Dawnflower, the other elder. Mosspelt was always trying to make the Clan feel better. Ravenpaw curled her lips in disgust as she wondered why the mousebrain would try helping her.

She didn't need any help. She was perfectly fine being herself.

OoOo

Night had fallen over the forest. Ravenpaw blearily opened her eyes and yawned. Though she hadn't promised Riverpaw that they would meet, curiosity had gotten the better of her. She wanted to find out if what Riverpaw had said was true. The only way to do that was by fighting off her fear.

She slipped out of the apprentice's den unnoticed before bypassing the warrior's den. Hawkfrost had keen hearing when it came to apprentices trying to sneak out. Fortunately he wasn't on guard duty. Feathertail and Frogpelt were on guard duty at the moment.

She looked at them warily before sneaking past with light movements. Feathertail's ear flicked backward but she was busy speaking to Frogpelt to notice Ravenpaw's disappearance. The two were always spending time together, especially with Mothpool in the nursery.

_Love is for kits_, Ravenpaw thought with a roll of her eyes.

Once she was out of their sight she slipped towards the river that wound it's way across sunningrocks. Once the river had flowed around sunningrocks, and RiverClan had always ruled them. But when the river changed course ThunderClan came to claim the land as their own. The two Clans had been at war over the territory ever since. Ravenpaw remembered hearing stories about the battles when she was a kit. Just a few moons ago RiverClan had ruled over sunningrocks because Firestar gave them up.

Ravenpaw's lips curled in annoyance when she caught sight of the granite-colored boulders. Sure enough Riverpaw was hiding beneath one of the shrubs that grew around them.

"You came!" Riverpaw mewed when she bounded out of the den.

"Shouldn't you keep hiding?" Ravenpaw hissed. "What if a patrol catches you so close to the river?"

Riverpaw's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. For a moment Ravenpaw thought she saw a similarity between Riverpaw and Hawkfrost. They shared the same angry looks when their eyes narrowed. Ravenpaw was taken aback by the strange look alike apprentice.

"It doesn't matter if we get caught," Riverpaw replied. "I just want to know if what I've learned is true. If... Hawkfrost is my father."

"From what I can see it is," Ravenpaw muttered. Every word was painful to say. She wanted to know why Hawkfrost had refused to tell her about this. Was he afraid of how she would react?

"If that's the case than we would be half-sisters!" Riverpaw exclaimed.

_Oh StarClan no_! Ravenpaw thought desperately. This scrawny ThunderClan apprentice was the last cat she wanted to be related to. Yet even now as she studied the river's reflections she could see why Riverpaw thought that.

"Okay, so what do we do if we're related?" Ravenpaw demanded.

"We find out who... my mother is," the ThunderClan apprentice replied. "I mean, if she's my mother than maybe she's your mother. It can't be too hard to find her."

Ravenpaw rolled her eyes once again at Riverpaw's blunt reply. Sure it would be nice to know who their real mother was. But what if their real mother didn't _want_ to be found? Riverpaw was taking a big risk by starting this search.

"This isn't a good idea," Ravenpaw muttered under her breath.

"I'll start looking in my Clan, and you can start looking in yours," Riverpaw meowed as if she had not heard.

Ravenpaw was about to say something else when Riverpaw stepped forward. It was then that she noticed the scars on Riverpaw's back. The scars were strange looking in appearance. They almost looked like wings that would normally belong to a bird.

"Where did you get those from?" Ravenpaw suddenly asked.

Riverpaw cringed and looked down at the ground. For a moment Ravenpaw wondered if she had lost her voice. Then she realized that her eyes were dark with fear, as if she was afraid of looking back at what had given her those scars. Her fur was also covered in burn marks from what Ravenpaw guessed was the fire.

"Okay, you don't wanna talk about it, I get it," she meowed with a shrug. "So when should we meet again?" She tried to change the subject as an uneasy silence fell between them. It was getting late and she still had training to complete tomorrow. Beaverclaw had mentioned getting the day started early so that they could finish early.

"How about in two days during the night," Riverpaw suggested after recovering from her silence.

"Alright, I'll meet you then," Ravenpaw murmured.

Despite the unease that had begun to churn in her belly, Ravenpaw was curious. She wanted to know who her mother was and why she had been given up as a kit. Maybe Hawkfrost wasn't even her real father for all she knew. Either way this discovery would lead them on discovering who their parents were, and if what Riverpaw had said was true.

* * *

**AN: Hm... The scars on Riverpaw's back are very curious aren't they? You'll just have to keep reading to find out what they mean :P**


	12. Realization

**AN: Sorry this took so long to get posted. I was stumped at what I should edit and keep in, because from here on the chapters just got really choppy. But alas the chapter was fixed and should now be readable. Anyways thanks everyone for your reviews, they're always appreciated :D**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Morning sunlight filtered through what was left of the apprentice's den. Riverpaw blinked open her eyes and forced back a yawn.

Most of the camp had been ravaged by the fire. Warriors were forced to repair dens while others were sent to find what prey was left in the forest. The situation had only just dawned on Riverpaw when she returned late last night. If they didn't find enough prey before leafbare came, the Clan would starve.

When Riverpaw jumped to her paws she saw that most of the apprentices were already awake. Shalepaw, Leafpaw and Emberpaw were working on the elder's den. Echopaw and Frozenpaw were helping Sootpelt repair the nursery for Whiteleaf and Ferncloud. Riverpaw looked around anxiously, wondering what she could possibly do for the Clan.

She padded across the clearing until she reached Brackenfur. The last cat she wanted to greet was Stormstar, especially after their last encounter. A shudder coursed down her spine as she remembered her leader's teeth flashing and the pain that coursed through her afterwords. She refused to speak with Stormstar since the incident. She wasn't even sure how she would react when Stormstar looked at her again.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked when Brackenfur looked down at her.

"You could go with the patrol that's about to leave," he replied. "They're going out to collect branches and if there is any moss for nests."

Riverpaw nodded in agreement and trotted off to where the patrol was getting ready to leave. It consisted of Sandstorm, Mousefur and Longtail. Riverpaw was surprised by the large amount of cats who were willing to help out.

Her tail twitched with excitement as she bounded after them. This was her chance to prove that she could be useful to the Clan. Despite the injuries she had endured during the fire, she wanted to show Stormstar and the others just how strong she was.

Sandstorm and Longtail went off to search for branches and twigs they could use to reinforce the dens. Riverpaw was left with Mousefur to find any moss that might have survived the fire.

"Moss grows on rotting logs or rocks," Mousefur rasped as she jumped from boulder to boulder. Mousefur was getting old, and Riverpaw knew that she would soon be joining the elder's den with Cloudtail, Frostfur and Goldenflower. "There's some!"

Riverpaw looked where Mousefur's tail was pointing. Sure enough there was a crop of small rocks where moss grew around them. She approached the rocks warily before giving the moss a disdainful sniff. Most of the moss was dried out and withered. She glanced at Mousefur, but the senior warrior had already jumped down and was clawing at the moss.

"It's better than nothing," she said with a small shrug.

"But what about the other moss?" Riverpaw asked as she began clawing the moss off. "Shouldn't there be extra moss in Cedarpaw's den?" She had heard that medicine cats kept extra moss in their dens in case it was needed.

"With the fire that hit the forest I doubt the moss would've survived," Mousefur meowed. Her voice was muffled by the wad of moss she now carried. Riverpaw tilted her head to one side as the dusky brown warrior jumped onto the taller boulder and looked down. "Besides, we have plenty of moss here."

It was better not to argue with the snappy warrior. Riverpaw had learned the hard way many times to avoid Mousefur's sharp tongue. She was well-known throughout the Clan by her fiery attitude.

Once they had gathered enough moss they returned to the spot where they had left Sandstorm and Longtail. Both cats had returned as well. Riverpaw's heart sank when she saw how few prey they had caught. She guessed that a few cats would go hungry tonight.

Riverpaw helped Mousefur spread the moss around the elder's den once they returned to camp. Cloudtail thanked her while Frostfur and Goldenflower simply returned to their nests without much to say. She was thankful for their silence as she watched them circle the brittle looking nests.

"At this rate it'll take moons for us to repair the camp," Stormstar sighed when Riverpaw backed out of the den. Brackenfur and Sorreltail were sitting with her, their pelts nearly brushing as Brackenfur made his reply.

"We are working as hard as we can," he muttered.

"Sometimes that is not enough," Stormstar murmured. She sighed again just as Riverpaw crouched beneath the remains of a bush nearby. "I need time to think on my own," she added when she looked at Brackenfur. The deputy's eyes narrowed in concern, but he nodded nonetheless. "Keep an eye on the camp while I am gone."

Suspicion suddenly dawned on Riverpaw as she watched the leader pad away. This was her chance to find out who her mother was. Squirreltail couldn't possibly be her mother if Hawkfrost was her father. That would have left Brambleclaw in the dark.

She skirted past the other apprentices that were busy chattering about their chores. Emberpaw and Shalepaw were more annoyed than Leafpaw about the extra work they had put in. Frozenpaw was silent like usual while Echopaw argued with Leafpaw about always seeing the positive things in life.

The apprentice didn't stop moving forward until Stormstar left the camp. Now she would have to rely on her senses to keep an eye on Stormstar. If any cat knew who her mother was, it had to be Stormstar. Her mother would have had to convince Stormstar that she could not take care of her kit.

It took Riverpaw several heartbeats to realize that Stormstar was headed towards sunningrocks. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered why every cat chose sunningrocks as their place to think. Maybe the gentle sounds of the river soothed them.

The granite colored boulders soon came into view as the sun shined above them. Riverpaw scanned the area for signs of Stormstar. Sure enough the ThunderClan leader was sitting on a boulder close to the river's edge.

"StarClan, why must you make this so difficult?" She heard Stormstar ask. The black, silver and gray she-cat was now looking up at the cloudless sky. Riverpaw followed her gaze, but she saw nothing except for the empty blue sky.

"Stormstar?" Riverpaw nearly leaped out of her fur when she heard another cat speak up. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw a large cat emerge from the reeds nearby. Icy blue eyes stared at Stormstar while the ThunderClan leader's hackles raised. "What are you doing so close to the border?" the RiverClan deputy demanded.

"I was just about to ask you how... Ravenpaw is doing," Stormstar sighed. Her voice sounded wary as she looked at anything but Hawkfrost. The RiverClan cat cringed as though she had said something insulting. Riverpaw's ears pricked forward at the mention of her new-found sister. How did Stormstar know about Ravenpaw?

"Ravenpaw is doing fine," Hawkfrost growled. "She is... like you. Only more aggressive. I need to go now... my mate and her kits need fresh-kill." He was about to turn and leave when Stormstar let out an irritated sigh.

"What happened between us?" Her voice wavered slightly, but it was loud enough for Riverpaw to hear. "Don't you care about your daughters?"

_She knows Hawkfrost has a kit in ThunderClan_! The thought churned in Riverpaw's belly until Hawkfrost's eyes narrowed in rage.

"Don't you think I regret what we did all those moons ago?" he spat. "I have to live with my mistake everyday no thanks to Minnowtail! Because of her Ravenpaw does not know who her real mother is." His body shook with anger as he glared at Stormstar coldly.

Riverpaw gaped at the pair in disbelief. Hawkfrost had just admitted that he had another mate! But that left more questions than answers for her. Which she-cat in ThunderClan would _want_ to be his mate?

"Hawkfrost, I have no regrets about what we did together," Stormstar suddenly meowed. Her voice was firm as she looked at the RiverClan tom. "The only regret I have is that we both changed."

Shock rippled through Riverpaw as she watched them touch noses. It was then that she realized the truth behind her parentage.

Stormstar was her mother, and Hawkfrost was her father.

* * *

**AN: Not much of a cliffhanger, but it was better than nothing. And who saw that one coming, Hawkfrost hunting on his own? Minnowtail's kits will be updated on my website later today!**


	13. Anger

**AN: Sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I've been... busy if you could call it that. More like angry that they've cancelled one of my favorite shows Tron Uprising. Definitely was a big blow on my part. But aside from that, here is chapter thirteen :D**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Dawn came too quickly for Ravenpaw. She groaned in her sleep and blinked open her eyes. Most of the apprentices were already awake or just waking up. Foxpaw and Sandpaw were still in the den grooming themselves. Ravenpaw nearly jumped to her paws in fright when a shadow loomed near the den's entrance. She peered outside to see Beaverclaw waiting impatiently for her.

"Minnowtail's kits came during the night," he told her when she emerged from the den. "I thought you might want to visit them." Ravenpaw's nose wrinkled at the thought of visiting the dark gray queen. Of all the cats in the Clan, Minnowtail was nothing more than a smug stuck-up she-cat. She had become that way since Hawkfrost started seeing her as a mate.

She decided it was better not to argue with her mentor. Beaverclaw's face was lit up with pride when he followed her towards the nursery. Ravenpaw didn't bother asking why he was so proud. She didn't need to when they reached the nursery. It was obvious by the two tiny fluff-balls beside Mothpool's belly why he was so proud.

"Did they give birth at the same time?" she asked. Robinwing was in the nursery keeping an eye on the newborns. The medicine cat looked up from his work and shook his head.

"No, Mothpool's kits were born a few heartbeats later," he replied with a shrug. "It's unusual for kittings to happen at the same time, but it is possible."

He left the nursery after those words were spoken. Ravenpaw looked down at Minnowtail to see three tiny bundles of fur wriggling around. She was surprised at how different they looked compared to her. One was silvery gray with patches of brown. Another was a pale gray kit - similar to Minnowtail's fur - and the last was a tortoiseshell she-kit with white paws.

"I've named the brown and black tom Dustkit," Mothpool meowed when Beaverclaw nuzzled her affectionately - it was hard to believe he could be anything but affectionate - and purred in approval. "And the mottled tabby will be called Ripplekit, because her fur ripples when she moves."

Ravenpaw rolled her eyes and looked back at Minnowtail. Hawkfrost was nowhere to be found, much to her annoyance and relief. He had never been too fond of Minnowtail for some reason. And yet here she was nursing his kits.

"And these three are called Frostkit," Minnowtail nuzzled the silvery brown kit, "this one will be called Jaykit." Ravenpaw noted the pale gray kit for the first time. He was bigger than Mothpool's kits, thanks to her father's bulkier size. "And the third kit will be called Whitekit." The tortoiseshell with white paws let out a squeal when her tail brushed against it.

"Those are all good names for the future warriors of RiverClan," Beaverclaw purred. "Where is Hawkfrost to see them?"

Minnowtail's eyes narrowed when he said those words. For the first time since entering the nursery, tension filled the air. Ravenpaw's stomach churned with guilt when she realized that her father had forgotten. Normally she would have felt smug about it, but the look Minnowtail gave her sent chills down her spine.

_This is your fault_! the look said.

Ravenpaw backed out of the den as an uncomfortable silence fell upon them. She didn't want to feel the hostile glare that Minnowtail gave her.

She raised her chin slightly as she padded across the clearing. Let Minnowtail feel that burning hatred. She didn't care one mouse-tail that Minnowtail hated her. If it meant living up to her father's name, the new queen would soon learn to fear her.

"Ravenpaw, why don't we go hunt together?" Silverpaw asked when she approached the apprentice. Thornpaw and Foxpaw were whispering to one another, while Sandpaw and Badgerpaw were forced to clean out the elder's den on their own. Ravenpaw smirked when she saw Sandpaw carrying a stick covered in mousebile.

"Alright," she replied after arching her back.

The fresh-kill pile was getting low, and it was only right that they went hunting. Ravenpaw enjoyed her time away from camp, especially if it meant filling her belly in the end. Silverpaw trotted after her before waving her tail goodbye to Thornpaw.

"I think we're going to have kits when we're warriors," Silverpaw purred when they left the camp.

"Why waste your time with useless kits?" Ravenpaw muttered. Her focus was on a fish that had been spotted in the many streams in the territory.

"Kits aren't all bad," her friend mewed. "I don't know why you're so against them."

A paw flashed into the water, spraying droplets against their pelts. Silverpaw jumped back in surprise when a fish squirmed beneath Ravenpaw.

She broke it's spine with her needle-sharp teeth before it could get away. Once the fish was dead she buried it near a familiar tree stump. Though fish was better freshly caught, it would make a good meal in the long-run.

"Kits are boring," she admitted when she was finished.

"But you were a kit once," Silverpaw pointed out.

"Yeah, and I was bored all of the time. What's your point?" Ravenpaw rolled her eyes and picked up the scent of a water vole lingering nearby.

Her mouth watered at the thought of a water vole. They were her favorite type of prey.

Without warning she sprang forward with her claws unsheathed. She was not going to let the water vole get away, not this time. The creature seemed to have other thoughts in mind though when it swerved out of reach.

Ravenpaw hissed in frustration and followed it's path. The creature was already on the run, searching for burrows that it could hide in.

Just when her claws were about to make contact the water vole dove into one of it's burrows. Ravenpaw collided into a mound of sand. She spat out sand after scrambling back to her paws.

Silverpaw approached her warily, afraid of the anger that Ravenpaw would unleash. This was just one of the many mistakes she had made in the past couple of days. Since her meeting with Riverpaw, she was getting distracted worrying about who her mother could be.

_StarClan, why can't you make this easy for me_? she demanded silently. She glared at the cloudless sky, anger churning in her stomach as she did so.

Ravenpaw found her claws unsheathing in sheer frustration as she thought of all that had happened to her. First she discovered that Hawkfrost was her father. Second she had discovered that she had a sister in ThunderClan. Now she knew that her mother was likely in ThunderClan as well.

It was then that she realized something was wrong with her. Ravenpaw looked down at her claws in shock. Smoke was fuming from her claws, scorching the ground beneath. Silverpaw stared at the ground in horror when she saw what Ravenpaw's claws had done.

"What is this?" she hissed when flames erupted from her claws.

"I don't know," Silverpaw whispered. Her voice was dry with fear as she studied Ravenpaw's claws. "But I have a feeling that it's not good."

* * *

**AN: If you want to see what Minnowtail's kits look like, you'll have to visit my website. Link for the website is posted on my profile. And yep, Ravenpaw has powers! And she isn't the only one who has powers... I think you know what I mean.**


	14. Wings

**AN: Yay for a quick update! And this one's a doozie... erm, if that's even spelled right or a word. But anyways I've been listening to Celtic music all day, sort of inspired me to write this. Enjoy :P**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

A sharp pain pierced through Riverpaw's skin. She yowled in surprise when she was woken up from a fitful sleep.

The other apprentices sleeping around her groaned in annoyance. Frozenpaw opened an eye at her and glared, while Echopaw and Leafpaw stared at her in concern.

"What's wrong?" Echopaw asked.

"My back, StarClan it hurts!" Riverpaw yelped when another bolt of pain erupted from her back.

She tried rolling to the side to see if that would soothe the pain. It only made things worse. Her eyes clenched shut as she tried to force back the pain, but it kept coming. By now the world around her had begun to fade out.

She could hear the panicked yowls of her denmates as they tried to figure out what was happening. Echopaw shouted something about her being hurt and woke up most of the Clan.

It didn't take long for Cedarpaw to find them. Riverpaw's eyes were still closed when she picked up his scent. Another more alarming scent filled her lungs when she breathed in another sharp yowl of pain. It was the scent of blood.

"Her wounds from the fire are bleeding again," Cedarpaw meowed when she collapsed in her nest. In the background she could hear Stormstar whispering urgently to the medicine cat apprentice. "I'm not sure if she is going to live," he admitted.

Riverpaw was slipping in and out of consciousness. Was this punishment for wanting to see her sister? She wasn't sure, but by that point she didn't care. Her mind went numb, and everything went black.

OoOo

Leafpaw stared at her friend in horror. Riverpaw's body had stilled, and she was no longer breathing.

"Is she..." Leafpaw broke off when Cedarpaw looked at her sympathetically.

It was a strange look that sent chills down her spine. Cedarpaw knew more than he was letting on. Leafpaw wanted to swat her paws against his nose, but she held back. He was the only one who could save Riverpaw.

An uneasy silence filled the den as Cedarpaw and Stormstar picked up Riverpaw's body. Leafpaw's nose wrinkled at the stench of blood that filled the air. Riverpaw's nest was covered in it.

"We should clean up her nest," Leafpaw murmured after shaking her head in disbelief.

"And what good will that do?" Shalepaw hissed. "She's probably dead."

He rose to his paws and stalked out of the den, followed by Emberpaw, Echopaw and Frozenpaw.

Leafpaw's claws unsheathed with outrage at her brother's harsh words. She wasn't going to let him get away with what he had said. Riverpaw wasn't going to die, she just couldn't!

She bounded out of the den, hackles raised as she glared at Shalepaw. He was busy eating a shrew picked from the fresh-kill pile. Beside him Emberpaw was washing herself, while Echopaw and Frozenpaw chatted casually.

"Take back what you said about her!" Leafpaw spat when she faced her brother.

He dropped the half-eaten shrew and glared at her coldly. Leafpaw held her ground, glaring back. She wasn't about to back down so easily.

"What good is it to hope when there was so much blood in her nest?" he demanded. "Hope isn't going to get you very far."

With a snort he grabbed the half-eaten shrew and continued eating as though nothing had happened.

Leafpaw continued glaring, but she knew that he wasn't going to change his mind. There was no point in arguing with a lost cause, no matter how much her heart wanted to.

"I think she'll survive," Echopaw suddenly mewed. Leafpaw looked at the lighter gray she-cat in surprise. Echopaw was Riverpaw's friend as well, of course she would worry about her. "She survived the fire, and she'll survive this," she added with a firm nod.

Hope flared within Leafpaw's chest at those words. Echopaw was right - Riverpaw was a survivor. If any cat could survive such wounds it was Riverpaw.

OoOo

Riverpaw's eyes flashed open when she heard the sounds of voices whispering around her. A faint breeze had picked up, ruffling her fur.

"Where am I?" she asked when she found herself sitting at the top of a hill. In the distance she could see trees covering the surrounding territory. The stars glowed brightly in the night sky, and there was no moon to block out their light.

Dread washed over Riverpaw when she suddenly remembered what had happened before her eyes closed. She had been in pain, and lost a lot of blood. Was she dead?

"Don't worry, you aren't dead." A purr sounded from nearby, startling Riverpaw from her thoughts. She jumped and looked around to see a long-legged black tom standing a few fox-lengths away from her. His amber eyes were dark with worry as he watched her. "At least not yet," he added in a more serious voice.

"Why am I here? What... happened to me?" Riverpaw glared at the black tom, suddenly wishing that he could be more clear in what had happened to her.

"You are on the brink of death because of... those." The black tom's tail suddenly pointed towards something above her back.

Riverpaw was about to ask what sort of mousebrained answer was that when she felt something brush against her nose. She let out a yelp when she realized that it was a feather. Her heartbeat began to race when she realized that there were wings growing from her back. Large feathered wings that stuck out like a mouse in a clearing.

"What in StarClan's name are these doing here?" she screeched.

"They're called wings," the black tom purred once more. His voice was filled with amusement as he watched her whirl around, trying to get a better view of her newly grown wings.

"But why do I have them?" Her panic was beginning to overwhelm her. The black tom approached her warily, brushing his nose against her fur to soothe her.

"You need to remain calm," he told her. "My name is Spiderleg, and I have been watching over you as I watched over your mother." Riverpaw's eyes narrowed in confusion when he mentioned her mother. "You were given these wings because she had powers when you were born. We didn't think much about it at the time, assuming that nothing would happen to you."

"I guess you were wrong," she spat bitterly.

Spiderleg's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. She wanted nothing to do with these powers - it made her different, something she wasn't too fond of. She was already different because of her pelt color and eye color. This would only make things worse.

"StarClan has no control over this," he admitted.

Riverpaw eyed him warily before bowing her head in defeat. There was no hope that things would be normal for her.

"You must use your gift to help the Clans," he suddenly meowed flatly.

Before she could ask what he meant by those words, the world around her began to fade. Riverpaw gasped as darkness washed over her. There was no escaping the destiny laid down before her. She had to accept it, no matter what.

* * *

**AN: Bwahahaha! How's that for a cliffhanger? And now their powers are revealed, and Riverpaw might not survive... You can guess what will happen next in the reviews!**


	15. Discovery

**Chapter 15**

Ravenpaw was surprised by the amount of prey she and Silverpaw had brought back by the end of their hunting trip. She had used her fire to scare out any voles or mice hiding in their burrows. Silverpaw waited until they were within striking distance.

Most of the Clan was impressed with their hunting as well. Even Hawkfrost, who was the hardest to please, was proud of his daughter.

She raised her chin when Mistystar congratulated her.

"Aren't you going to tell anyone what happened?" Silverpaw asked after they reached the apprentice's den.

"Why should I?" Ravenpaw snorted. "If I tell them they'll just use whatever it is I have against the other Clans."

Though she liked the idea of attacking the other Clans, she knew better. It wasn't fair to have unusual powers and use them against unsuspecting enemies. She would stick with RiverClan's usual battle tactics. Besides, it's not like her powers hard harmed anyone.

"What if..." Silverpaw had seemed to read her thoughts, but closed her mouth when Ravenpaw glared at her.

"It doesn't matter," she snapped.

Without warning she rose to her paws and stretched out her back. There was no way she would tell the Clan what had happened. If Silverpaw couldn't keep her mouth shut... Ravenpaw had her own ways of doing so.

_You may be my friend but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of hurting you_, she threatened silently.

The glare she gave Silverpaw seemed to be enough of a warning. Silverpaw backed off, ducking her head in embarrassment.

Once their argument was finished Ravenpaw began washing her paw. Tonight she was supposed to meet with Riverpaw. It had been two days already, and she wasn't close to figuring out who their mother might be.

It didn't help that she never started her search. Maybe Riverpaw would get lucky and find out first-paw who their mother was.

She retired to her nest soon after she finished washing herself. By now most of the Clan was returning to their nests. Ravenpaw curled up in her nest beside Silverpaw, but her eyes stayed wide open. She didn't dare stir from her nest until the snoring began.

Ravenpaw slowly rose to her paws after a few heartbeats had passed. The moon hovered above as she left the den. Frogpelt was on guard duty, but when she passed his eyes were half-closed.

_Knowing him he'll be fast asleep before long_, she thought with a smirk.

Her dark fur blended in well against the shadows as she crept along the river's edge. Sunningrocks loomed ahead as she swerved in and out of the reeds that grew around them.

She came to a halt near the edge of the border. ThunderClan's scent filled her lungs, making her eyes water in disgust. It took all of Ravenpaw's courage not to turn around. This was an important meeting that she couldn't miss.

"Where are you?" she asked out loud as she began to grow impatient.

Her claws scraped against the sandy shore until the sounds of pawsteps alerted her. Ravenpaw ducked behind a reed and swiveled her ears towards the oncoming patrol.

There were two cats on the patrol, one an older cat and the second a smaller, apprentice-aged cat.

"I don't know why you've taken me out of camp when Riverpaw needs help," the she-cat hissed. Ravenpaw's ears flattened when she recognized Stormstar's voice.

"I've taken you out here because there is something you need to know." The second voice belonged to a tom - Cedarpaw - from what Ravenpaw recognized. "I know who Riverpaw's mother is."

Ravenpaw leaned against the reeds, her heartbeat racing as she listened to them. She knew that she shouldn't be part of their conversation, but she couldn't resist.

"And you are going to tell the Clan," Stormstar growled.

"Only you can tell them the truth," Cedarpaw muttered. "You're her mother, aren't you?"

Silence followed his words. Ravenpaw held her breath as she waited for Stormstar's answer. If what Cedarpaw said was true, than that meant she was Ravenpaw's mother as well. Her mind churned with questions as she wondered why Stormstar refused to share the truth.

"Yes," Stormstar rasped.

Ravenpaw's stomach churned with anxiety as she looked between the reeds.

"I don't know if she is going to live," Cedarpaw admitted after several heartbeats of silence followed. "I've never seen wounds like the ones she has."

Horror coursed through Ravenpaw as she listened to them. Riverpaw might not survive? She had been injured the day ThunderClan came to RiverClan for help.

"She will live," Stormstar snarled. The sudden venom in her voice sent chills down Ravenpaw's spine. It wasn't just the venom that had sent chills down her spine. It was Stormstar's sudden change in attitude that had worried Ravenpaw.

"I will do my best," Cedarpaw meowed. "But I can't make any promises."

Silence filled the air as the two left. Ravenpaw waited behind the reeds until she was certain they were gone. Her heartbeat was still pounding as she realized what she had just learned.

Cedarpaw had just said that Stormstar was Riverpaw's mother. That meant Ravenpaw was Stormstar's daughter.

* * *

**AN: Okay, I wasn't planning on updating this for another day, but I couldn't resist. And yep, Ravenpaw has just discovered what happened to Riverpaw... now what will happen? You'll just have to wait and see :P**


	16. Spirit

**AN: Have you ever heard of the song Here With Me by MercyMe? Such a beautiful song :) And on to the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Silence filled the den after Stormstar and Cedarpaw had returned. Riverpaw's eyes were still closed, as she refused to look at the cat she had learned was her mother. Stormstar and Cedarpaw were whispering to each other in urgent voices. Riverpaw knew that they were whispering about her. They were deciding whether or not it was worth saving her.

"I think you should give her a warrior name." Cedarpaw's voice made her heart skip a beat in surprise. His voice was normally sharp and ill-tempered since he had last his mentor, Leafpelt. But now he was calm and collected, as if he had known this would happen. "It's the least you could do."

A sigh echoed throughout the den. Riverpaw could sense the frustration in Stormstar's sigh.

"Very well," the ThunderClan leader murmured. "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has learned the warrior code and has given up her life in the service of ThunderClan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. Her name will be Riverspirit, because of her courage and spirit. Let StarClan receive her by the name of Riverspirit."

More silence filled the den. Riverspirit's heart sank when she realized just how much her name meant.

_They all think I'm dead_, she thought bitterly.

Maybe that was what Stormstar had wanted. This was Stormstar's way of making sure her secret never left the den. Ravenpaw couldn't have figured out the truth, not in the short amount of time they had known each other.

Sudden anger churned within Riverspirit's heart. Stormstar wanted her dead more than anything else. Her own mother didn't care whether or not she lived. Well, she was going to prove Stormstar wrong.

_I'm going to show them just how strong I am_, she told herself.

As if the thoughts had summoned him, Cedarpaw crept towards her. Stormstar had left the den, leaving behind a faint scent that burned in Riverspirit's lungs.

"I know you're still alive," Cedarpaw rasped. "And I know that you were attacked by your own mother."

One eye flashed open, bright with anger and hurt. The medicine cat was sitting nearby, his tail wrapped neatly around his paws.

"It doesn't matter," she hissed. "She never wanted me anyways."

Cedarpaw's ears flicked from side to side at her harsh words. She knew that she was right. Stormstar had never loved her kits, which was why they were separated at birth. She wanted to make sure that no cat in the Clan knew the truth.

"True, it may not matter, but it is still wrong," Cedarpaw meowed. His voice was calm and steady, as if he had rehearsed this conversation many times. "StarClan gave you the chance to live for a reason. Use that ability to discover the truth."

Riverspirit stared at the apprentice in confusion. He had just mentioned what she thought heartbeats ago. Cedarpaw's expression never wavered as she continued glaring at him.

"So what I am I supposed to tell them? That I'm alive and a warrior? I don't think that's going to sit well with the other apprentices," she muttered crossly.

"Do what you must," he replied with a simple wave of his tail.

She was about to argue when a cat stumbled into Cedarpaw's den. Almost at once her eyes closed. She wasn't sure if she could face her Clanmates just yet. She was certain that Stormstar would have told the Clan what had happened in the medicine cat's den.

"Cedarpaw, I've stepped on a thorn!" The wail belonged to none other than Frozenpaw, much to Riverspirit's surprise.

"Calm down mousebrain, I can't concentrate with all of that yowling," Cedarpaw grumbled when Frozenpaw continued complaining.

There was a hint of amusement in his voice as he disappeared further into the den. Riverspirit picked up the faint scent of blood in the air. Frozenpaw's tail was lashing across the sandy floor until Cedarpaw returned heartbeats later.

"This is going to hurt before it gets better," he warned the apprentice before clamping his teeth around the thorn. A whimper followed shortly after. Once he spat out the thorn silence filled the den once more until pawsteps shuffled. "Don't lick your wound, or the pad will get raw," Cedarpaw snapped after a few heartbeats had passed. "Come back to my den if that wound gets infected," he meowed after the bitter scent of herbs filled the air.

Another heartbeat of silence followed after Riverspirit assumed he was wrapping cobwebs around her paw. Frozenpaw sighed in relief after setting it down warily.

"Thanks!" she mewed before limping out of the den.

Relief washed over Riverspirit when she was left alone once more. Slowly but surely she raised to her paws, desperate to stretch out her limbs. They were stiff from lack of use, and suddenly a thought occurred to her.

"Cedarpaw, how long was I out?" she asked when the medicine cat began cleaning up.

"For about three days," he replied. "That is why we were so afraid you wouldn't make it."

Shock coursed through her when she realized just how long she had been out. Anything could happened throughout that course of time: Her former denmates could have become warriors, someone could have died and she wouldn't even know it.

"Don't worry, nothing big has happened yet," Cedarpaw purred when he noticed her shock. Then his eyes widened when he saw her back for the first time. Memories of her dream with Spiderfang suddenly came rushing back. Riverspirit's eyes closed as she remembered the wings that grew out of her back. Spiderfang had told her to use the wings to help the Clans. "How did... those happen?" he gasped.

"Look, they aren't bad," she tried to reassure him. "I had a dream and they were fully grown. I think... I'm supposed to use them for the good of the Clan."

Her expression grew wary as she studied the medicine cat.

"Please don't tell them," she murmured. Her voice was so quiet that she hardly heard herself.

Cedarpaw seemed to understand though, and he nodded in agreement. Relief quickly washed over her once more when she realized that he was on her side. It was strange to have gained another friend, especially a medicine cat.

When she had first seen Cedarpaw, Riverspirit wasn't sure what to make of him. Now she saw that there was more to him than meets the eye. She purred a thank you and went back to the spot where she had been laying down.

Cats would question why her body had changed position. Hopefully Cedarpaw could come up with some sort of lie for the time being. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face her Clan just yet.

* * *

**AN: I sense a blossoming relationship between Riverspirit and Cedarpaw. Hopefully his personality has become more clear in this chapter, since I haven't really included him in the previous story. He's a bit like Jayfeather in a way.**

**But anyways, I've updated the allegiance on my website to include Riverspirit, and a few cats who have died are listed under StarClan. That should help clear things up now :)**


	17. Punishment

**AN: New chapter, and it's about time! So excited about this, especially since it's the third last chapter. Yep, only two left after this. Then on to the second book on Riverspirit and Ravenpaw. Now go on and read before I keep rambling :P**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Ravenpaw was still in shock after discovering that her newly discovered might be dead or dying. She had struggled throughout her day's training, earning questions from her mentor and fellow denmates. She hated the amount of fear she felt at losing a long-lost sister. The whole idea sounded like a mousebrained dream.

"You have to focus Ravenpaw!" Beaverclaw growled when Ravenpaw landed on the sand with her nose. "You don't get so easily distracted," he grunted after she shook sand from her pelt.

Annoyance flared within Ravenpaw as she glared at him. She was annoyed because of how right he was. She didn't usually get easily distracted during battle training. Correction, _especially_ during battle training. Her mind was always focused on learning new moves that would give her an advantage in battle.

Now with Riverpaw in her thoughts, Ravenpaw wasn't capable of paying attention.

"I can't!" she suddenly hissed. Without warning she sprang forward with her claws unsheathed. Beaverclaw was about to spit something in reply when she landed, toppling him over. The huge tabby let out a startled yelp when she dug her claws into his chest.

"Ravenpaw, let go!" he spat as he struggled to kick her off.

It took Ravenpaw a few heartbeats to realize what she had done. Her eyes widened in surprise before she jumped off. Beaverclaw rose to his paws shakily after she settled down in front of him. She stared at the new wounds on his chest in disbelief.

_Did I just do that_? she wondered.

"We need to get back, now," Beaverclaw hissed after a few heartbeats had passed.

The two of them made their way back to camp in icy silence. Ravenpaw's stomach churned with anxiety as she wondered what he would tell Mistystar.

She hadn't meant to hurt Beaverclaw. But the way he was scolding her sent thrills of outrage through her. She couldn't just let him get away with what he had said, not when her mind was still on Riverpaw.

Cats looked up in surprise when the scent of blood filled the air. Ravenpaw held her chin high as she stalked into the clearing. She wanted to show them that despite her recent attack on Beaverclaw, she was still the same old Ravenpaw.

That didn't seem to work out well for her though. Her ears flattened when Silverpaw and Thornpaw glared at her. Badgerpaw, Foxpaw and Sandpaw all held the same expressions.

"Ravenpaw, what did you do to him?" Silverpaw demanded when she approached.

Ravenpaw eyed her denmate coolly before replying, "I did nothing."

Before she could say anything else, Beaverclaw rested his tail on her shoulder. His amber eyes were anything but gentle. She knew that she was in trouble.

"Come with me," he grumbled.

She looked back at Silverpaw, but her friend was already sharing tongues with Thornpaw. Her ears flattened when she realized that Silverpaw no longer cared. All that mattered in Silverpaw's life was Thornpaw, her future mate.

Ravenpaw glared at them before Beaverclaw led her to Mistystar's den.

"Ravenpaw, Beaverclaw, what brings you to my den?" Embarrassment washed over Ravenpaw when she realized that Hawkfrost was there as well. His blue eyes were glowing with interest as he watched them.

"This apprentice here decided to attack me during training," Beaverclaw explained. "She attacked me with unsheathed claws."

"Is this true?" Hawkfrost's voice was stiff with shock as he glared down at Ravenpaw. She looked down at her paws, unable to meet his glare.

"Ravenpaw, leave my den for now and wait outside," Mistystar suddenly meowed. "I must discuss some news with Hawkfrost and Beaverclaw."

She was about to argue with the RiverClan leader when she thought better of it. Mistystar obviously had her reasons for casting the apprentice out, whether or not it was a good reason. With a duck of her head Ravenpaw backed out of the den, still unsure of the punishment Mistystar would come up with.

She watched as the Clan milled about in the usual way. It was past sunhigh, and the air was getting cooler. A breeze had picked up, ruffling her fur. As Ravenpaw sat outside Mistystar's den, she began to think of everything she had been through.

Maybe her life would not have been so difficult had she grown up with Riverpaw. Maybe she would not have attacked Beaverclaw had he scolded her so harshly. But her way of life could never change even if she wanted it to.

"Ravenpaw, you may come in now." She stiffened when Mistystar spoke up again.

Her paws dragged across the sand as she padded into Mistystar's den. She was surprised to see how annoyed Beaverclaw looked when she sat beside Hawkfrost. His eyes were narrowed into tiny slits as he watched them.

"Ravenpaw, you have showed exceptional skills as an apprentice," Mistystar explained when Ravenpaw looked up at her. Ravenpaw blinked in surprise at the leader's praise. "And so, Hawkfrost and I have decided that it is time you became a warrior."

Shock coursed through Ravenpaw as she gaped at Mistystar. Amusement gleamed within the leader's eyes when she looked down at the apprentice.

"Of course, an assessment will have to be held first," Hawkfrost pointed out. "We don't want the apprentices to think you cheated."

Ravenpaw simply nodded in response. She was too dumbfounded to think of anything better to say. So she was going to become a warrior? Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Don't think that you are going to be left unpunished!" Beaverclaw snarled.

Mistystar nodded at those words and looked down at Ravenpaw sternly.

"Because of what you did, even though you will have a warrior name, you will clean out the elder's den for one moon, and you are not allowed to attend the next Gathering."

Her words sent a rush of anger through Ravenpaw, but she knew the RiverClan leader was being fair. Her punishment could have been worse.

"Tomorrow I will hold your assessment," Mistystar continued. "After that, you must perform your punishment."

* * *

**AN: Okay, so Ferncloud's kits will be coming soon and there are going to be three. You're more than welcome to give them names if you want, and pretty soon Snowstorm will be moving into the nursery. So I'll need characters for hers as well :)**


	18. Words of Encouragement

**AN: Sorry this is so late, and short. I've been busy lately and didn't have time to get on. But on another note, thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'll think of who to use and include the kits in future queens as well. I'm not posting an allegiance in the next book thanks to my website, so if you want to see them you'll have to go there.**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

A day had passed since Leafpaw finally got her move right. Stormstar had taught her a particularly difficult move the other day. Leafpaw had to jump in the air, twist her body around and strike until she landed next to her enemy. Then she had to jump out of the way before her enemy could retaliate.

She had a difficult time performing the move due to her lack of concentration. Stormstar had not told the Clan yet what had happened to Riverpaw. Leafpaw was worried about her friend, mostly because she wanted to know whether or not Riverpaw was even alive.

_I'm a terrible friend_, Leafpaw thought sadly. She had abandoned Riverpaw when her friend needed her the most.

And now she was so busy with her training that she didn't have time to visit Riverpaw.

"I wanted the mouse!" Frozenpaw complained when Leafpaw approached the apprentice's den.

Echopaw had chosen a mouse from the fresh-kill and was glaring at her sister.

"I found it first," she snorted.

"Yeah and your point is?" Frozenpaw lunged forward and tried to grab the mouse, but Echopaw held it just out of reach.

Frozenpaw hissed in frustration, but was stopped by Leafpaw's tail.

"Why not share the mouse," she suggested. "Sharing is the best thing ever, and you don't even have to fight."

The two sisters stared at Leafpaw as if she was nuts. Maybe she was for believing that her friend could be okay. But she couldn't stand seeing siblings fight, especially when they weren't even her own. Maybe that was why she didn't spend time with her own siblings.

Eventually Echopaw sniffed disdainfully and handed the mouse over to Frozenpaw. Silence passed as the pair began to eat. Satisfied with their decision, Leafpaw stalked away towards the medicine cat's den.

_It's now or never_, she told herself. _I need to find out if Riverpaw is okay_.

She took a cautious step forward into the small entrance until a clearing stretched before her. Cedarpaw's den was different from the rest of the camp, as it was a little cave. Lichen hung over the entrance, but that had been burned away during the fire.

Sure enough Leafpaw spotted the medicine cat sifting through bundles of herbs. She was surprised that there were still herbs growing despite the blaze that would have killed them.

"Is Riverpaw... alive?" she asked in a low whisper when he finally looked up.

"Why don't you see for yourself," he muttered.

Leafpaw's nose wrinkled in unease. Cedarpaw was strange. He had always been a strange cat that she didn't like. The way he spoke reminded her of a loner or a rogue.

She tried to ignore his stare as she stepped forward. Riverpaw was curled up in her nest. But it wasn't the position that had startled Leafpaw. There was something more to Riverpaw than Leafpaw had originally thought.

Sprouting from the young cat's back were a pair of feather-like wings. Leafpaw gaped at the wings as she studied them. They were small, but she could already tell that they would get bigger. The feathers were elegant looking as Riverpaw stirred in her nest.

"Leafpaw?" she groaned.

"You're alive!" Leafpaw exclaimed with an excited bounce.

Riverpaw staggered in surprise at Leafpaw's shout. Even Cedarpaw looked up from his work.

"Please don't tell Stormstar," she rasped. Leafpaw tilted her head in confusion, but Riverpaw refused to meet her gaze. "I'm a warrior now. Stormstar gave me my name... I'm River_spirit_ now."

It took every ounce of self-control not to shriek in surprise. How could Stormstar give an apprentice younger than Leafpaw a warrior name? Leafpaw's claws unsheathed with unease as she looked down at them.

"But... the whole Clan thinks that you're dead!" she hissed.

The young cat snorted in grim amusement.

"Let them think that I am dead," she muttered. "It's what Stormstar wants."

Determination suddenly clawed at Leafpaw's belly. She couldn't just watch her friend deteriorate like this. Riverp- River_spirit_ needed sunlight and the warmth of her friends.

"Of course she cares about you," Leafpaw tried to reassure her. "Why else would she give you a warrior name?"

"It was a dying warrior ceremony." Riverspirit's words sent chills down Leafpaw's spine. When she looked at Cedarpaw the medicine cat nodded in agreement. "Cedarpaw had to convince her to give me a warrior name. She could care less about me."

Leafpaw tried to think of something that would cheer her friend up. But nothing came. Maybe Riverspirit was right. Maybe Stormstar had always hated her, and Leafpaw was only just beginning to realize it.

That didn't mean she was going to abandon her friend.

"It doesn't matter if Stormstar doesn't care about you," Leafpaw snapped. "We care about you, your friends."

She stared down at Riverspirit, hoping those words would encourage the young cat. But Riverspirit was looking away now, towards the small pool near the back of Cedarpaw's den. Riverspirit had no hope for the future now. Any hope she once had was lost.

And the only cat Leafpaw could blame was her own mentor.

* * *

**AN: Poor Leafpaw, tries so hard to be a good friend. Last chapter up next, than I'll start working on River and Thunder!**


	19. No Longer Friends

**AN: I know I know, another short chapter. But you get to see what Ravenpaw's warrior name is :P Have you heard the song Pray by Sanctus Real yet? Highly recommend it, good music from one of my favorite groups. Anyways thanks everyone for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated!**

**EDIT: This is the last chapter! Sorry but I wanted to end it here rather than switch to Riverspirit XD New story will be posted sometime tonight when I get the chance.**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Her paws kneaded the ground with anxiety as she looked around the clearing. Most cats had avoided Ravenpaw since she attacked Beaverclaw. They were afraid of her, and rightfully so. She snorted at their fear and wondered just how mousebrained they really were. Some had even gone as far as spreading rumors that she was another Tigerstar.

Ravenpaw looked up at the clear blue sky. The heat of greenleaf was finally coming to an end. Now cooler air had found it's way through the forest. At night it was often cold enough that the warriors didn't need to sleep outside their den.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Sandpile for a Clan meeting!" Mistystar's yowl rang loud and clear, alerting Ravenpaw from her thoughts.

Excitement coursed through Ravenpaw when she remembered why Mistystar was holding the meeting. Today she was going to become a warrior. Despite the punishment Mistystar had given her, the leader had thought it would be good for her to become a warrior.

By now most of the Clan was gathered around the Sandpile. Some warriors were whispering to one another, while others just glared at Ravenpaw. She ignored them and raised her chin, eager to get the day on.

"Ravenpaw has passed her assessments and has proven her worth as a warrior," Mistystar began when silence fell upon the clearing. Ravenpaw braced herself for the yowls of outrage that would follow. To her surprise no cat argued. Instead they were interested in what Mistystar had to say. "I, Mistystar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors so that they may look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Mistystar looked down at Ravenpaw before continuing, "Ravenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

A shudder coursed down Ravenpaw's spine before she answered. "I do," she replied.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Ravenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ravenflight. StarClan honors you for your courage and fighting skills, and we welcome you as a full member of RiverClan."

Ravenflight's eyes closed with triumph when Mistystar padded towards her. She gave the leader's shoulder a lick before backing away.

"And now you must hold vigil," Mistystar murmured when the meeting drew to an end. A few cats had cheered her name, but most were angry with Mistystar.

She could feel the glares of her Clanmates burning through her pelt. Ravenflight raised her chin once more and glared back. Let them stare! She was a warrior now, and that was what mattered to her more than anything.

. . .

Jealousy coursed through Silverpaw as she watched her friend become a warrior. How could Mistystar allow such a young cat to become a warrior? What did Mistystar see in Ravenflight? Sure she could control fire at will, but that made her dangerous rather than valuable.

Fur brushed against Silverpaw's shoulder, and she calmed down slightly. Thornpaw was sitting beside her, and as long as she had Thornpaw the world felt right.

"We'll be warriors soon enough," he whispered in a determined voice.

"It doesn't make any sense," she sighed irritably. "Why would she become a warrior so early?"

"Maybe because Hawkfrost's her father?" Foxpaw suggested. Her tail lashed from side to side as she watched the Clan depart from the meeting.

"If that's the case than maybe we should all claim he's our father," Silverpaw scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

She didn't mind Hawkfrost, but there was always something about him that made her uneasy. He was ambitious and sometimes even cruel. He didn't even visit his own mate, Minnowtail anymore.

Silverpaw shook her head and tried not to think about it. True she was jealous of Ravenflight, but that wasn't going stop her from training. Once she had enough experience she would become the next best warrior in the Clan. And she would have Thornpaw as a mate.

"Come on, let's see if there's any training we can do," Thornpaw meowed as if he had read her thoughts.

She blinked at her friend thankfully before trotting after him.

_Ravenflight isn't my friend anymore_, she thought bitterly. _I have Thornpaw, and that's more than enough for me_.

* * *

**AN: I also know I've used the name Ravenflight in Ravenstar's Story. I just loved the name so much that I had to name_ this_ Ravenpaw after her. At least it won't be too confusing, right?**


End file.
